Drama

View previous and next items

The National Gallery is collaborating with the London Film School on 'Transcriptions: LFS Shorts', an innovative new project which involves second term students producing short 3-4 minute films inspired by the Gallery’s collection as part of their course.

If this text remains on screen after the page has loaded, please install Adobe Flash and enable Javascript.

From the film-maker:

The first thing that struck me about this painting was the way that Venus looks at Mars, and the secretive expression in her eyes. I started to think about them and imagine them transported to the present day. In the painting there are three satyrs attempting to wake Mars up by making noise. I used the sound of water boiling to make him aware of a secret in his relationship. I reinterpreted Venus's dress as a nightdress and the red cushion on which she rests her elbow as a bed. There is a shade of brown in the painting that I had in my mind when I was looking for a location.

Arash Ashtiani

A piece inspired by Sandro Botticelli, Venus and Mars, about 1485