The Ludovisi Ares is considered to be the statue of a seated Mars described by Pliny. The god of war is portrayed as a nude seated in a resting position — an iconic reference to the frieze from the Parthenon. Little Armor (Eros / Cupid) — the love child of Mars / Ares and Venus / Aphrodite — plays at his feet between his helmet and shield.
Bernini restored the sculpture in 1622 using Carrara marble, which is clearly offset from the Pentelic marble of the original. Major elements added by Bernini include only the head of Eros, the right foot of Ares, and the hilt of the sword.
The German art historian and archaeologist Johann Joachim Winckelmann considered the Ludovisi Ares the most beautiful Mars to have survived from antiquity.
Visit the Palazzo Altemps in central Rome to see a small but fantastic collection of top sculptures from antiquity displayed in a historic palace of the National Roman Museum.