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A Glorious Reunion: Jan van Bijlert's Mars Bound by Amoretti and
Venus Chastising Amoretti

The Chrysler is always on the look out for works of art that directly relate to works already in the Permanent Collection. Since the early 1980s, the Museum has pursued that objective with great success, acquiring a succession of preliminary drawings and oil studies for its paintings. In January 2002, the Museum was fortunate to acquire at auction in New York the companion painting for Jan van Bijlert's Mars Bound by Amoretti, which was donated in 1971 by Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., and which ranks among the Museum's most important Dutch Golden Age pictures. Since its arrival last year, Bijlert's companion painting of Venus Chastising Amoretti has been restored by Chrysler conservator Mark Lewis and repaired to match the frame of the Mars .Reunited after a separation of at least 150 years, Bijlert's Venus and Mars now hang side by side in the Museum's 17th-Century Gallery, where they function as a sophisticated moralizing allegory about the need for moderation and restraint in affairs of the heart. Bijlert's Venus Chastising Amoretti was acquired by the Museum in memory of Roy B. Martin, who in 1971 played a central role in bringing Walter Chrysler's extraordinary art collection to Hampton Roads.

LEFT Jan van Bijlert (Dutch, 1598-1671) Mars Bound by Amoretti, ca. 1630-40 Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. RIGHT Venus Chastising Amoretti, ca. 1630-40 Museum Purchase in memory of Roy B. Martin, Jr., with gratitude for his service as Trustee and Board Chairman and in recognition of the crucial role he played in the founding of the Museum

For More Information or Images Please Contact the Public Relations Department at (757) 333-6295 or bdyer@chrysler.org

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