Birth of Venus

Birth of Venus
Sandro Botticelli
1485
Uffizi Gallery

Birth of Venus c. 1485,  is a painting by Sandro Botticelli in the sixteenth century. I'm writing about a major painting in the Renaissance period. A gentle almost fragile work of idealized beauty.  (Cunningham 283) The composition shows Venus's is slightly to the right of the center, her head tilts slightly and she's standing at a rather different stance. The gradations of colors, you will see at the bottom it's light to dark as well as the scallop shell. As for the perspective, you see the waves that shows a two dimensional space.   
  

Self-portrait of Sandro Botticelli
1475
Wikipedi 

 A little about the artist, Sandro Botticelli (abt.1445-1510), he was an Italian painter born in Florence, Italy. He came from a humble beginning, his top patrons the Medici family helped with his reputation. He painted may painting during the early Renaissance times.  In this particular painting, The Birth of Venus shows the wind gods gently stirring the sea breezes as Venus emerges from the sea and an attendant waits for her with billowing cape. (Cunningham 283) Venus figure is inspired by Venus pudice (the "Modest" Venus) figures of antiquity. The story goes the God Uranus had a son named Cronou who overthrew his father, castrating him and throwing his genitals into the sea. This caused the water to be fertilised and Venus was born.  

Beginning in the Renaissance the female nude becomes an important subject in Western Art. (Video 4:34-4:40) It's an expression for the artist showing truth, love, or beauty. Botticelli is trying to depict not a particular women but the essential idea of female beauty. (Cunningham 283) I selected this painting because it showed strength and beauty. She was the Goddess of Love and Beauty. When you think about this painting take a moment and focus back on the details of this brilliant painting. One in particular is the  the details of gold in her hair and trees which can signify heaven.         

"A Celebration of beauty and love" is a closer 

look at the painting the Birth of Venus. 

Citations


Cunningham."The Early Renaissance." Cunningham and Reich's Culture and Values, Volume 2., pp. 265-293.

Botticelli, Sandro."The Birth of Venus" 1485, painting. Florence Art Museum.https://www.florenceartmuseums.com/uffizi-gallery/.Accessed 9 Feb. 2022.


"Sandro Botticelli." Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. 2002.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandro_Botticelli


Nesli, Sabrina, and Ben Carson."Botticelli The Birth of Venus- What is the meaning of this painting. Love from Tuscany. 2022. https://lovefromtuscany.com/art/botticelli-the-birth-of-venus/#:~:text=The%20story%20goes%20that%20the,god%20of%20the%20west%20wind.

Smarthistory."A Celebration of beauty and love." YouTube 24, Dec. 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6PBfbkMzFU&t=207s. Accessed 9 Feb. 2022.