God depicted by visual artist (3)

I believe the answer is:

lar

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'god' is the definition.
(protective household god in ancient Rome)

'visual artist' is the wordplay.
'LAR' is hidden within the letters.
But, I am unsure how the hidden word is indicated.

'depicted by' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for lar that I've seen before include "Roman household god" , "Libya" , "What's supposed to protect the house" , "statue of a god" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.