Venus in Renaissance Painting Essay

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Birth of Venus" and "Venus Anadyomene"

Sandro Botticelli's 1486 painting "The Birth of Venus" and Titian's 1520 painting "Venus Anadyomene" are two of history's most remarkable works depicting the Roman goddess. While the former is meant to address Venus' birth directly, the latter only hints at the event, as it is difficult to determine whether or not Titian actually wanted to portray the goddess' birth or if he simply wanted to show her rising from the sea consequent to having a bath. Botticelli's painting is displayed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy and Titian's painting is located in the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland.

According to classic mythology, Venus was born from the foaming waters of the sea, a foam that formed from the genitals of Uranus, who had them cut off by his son, Cronos, and thrown into the sea. Venus' birth is associated with a shell that is meant to parallel her appearance from the sea.

Background for each painting

Botticelli painted the artwork during the 1480s and the fact that it stood right across from the Primavera (Botticelli's 1482 artwork) in the country villa belonging to the Medici family during the 16th century influenced many to believe that the paintings were designed to work together in putting across a message. Its presence at the location during the 16th century also points toward the belief that it had been commissioned by the Medici family, probably even for Lorenzo the Magnificent, one of the family's most renowned members. "The man who commissioned them was probably Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici, a second cousin and a ward of Lorenzo the Magnificent, for whom Botticelli certainly executed in the early 1490s a famous set of drawings illustrating Dante's Divine Comedy." (Bergin & Speake, 2004, p. 66)

Titian was well-acquainted with the fact that Apelles, a renowned painter in Ancient Greece, had painted a portrayal of Venus in association with the sea and a shell. As a consequence, he got actively involved in creating a work that would rival Apelles' and that would influence viewers to find parallels between the two works and even to attempt to determine which one was better.

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"The Birth of Venus" -- analysis

The painting was most probably painted to be placed in a country villa and this is reflected by both its content and its technical features. The fact that it was painted on canvas indicates that the author had finances into mind when painting it. "The cost involved in creating a painting on canvas was considerably less than that required for a panel painting on wood, and the former were accordingly used for the decoration of country villas, were social functions and ostentations were of less importance than in the city palaces of the families." (Deimling, 2000, p. 52)

Botticelli chose to represent Venus in a form that is similar to a classical statue, this emphasizing the artist's connection to the Early Renaissance. "The artist is said to have represented the features of Simonetta Vespucci, mistress of Giuliano, the brother of Lorenzo the Magnificent." (Michelin, 2012) One can practically associate her skin with marble, as the shining color of her flesh is very similar to marble sculptures and with the rock in general. Her posture induces feelings related to the ones that a person would experience while coming across the classical pose of Venus Pudica. It is likely that Botticelli consulted Poliziano when choosing to depict her this way, as the classical scholar would probably allude to the visual image of the Roman concept.

Venus is shown with black line around her contours, this making it possible for the character to stand out when considering the way she contrasts the surrounding environment. Botticelli addresses the classical legend once again by introducing roses into the painting, as the story relates to how their appearance is associated with the moment when Venus was born.

Many are likely to be confused with the title of the painting and to believe that it is meant to depict the goddess' birth. In reality, it is meant to relate to her arrival at the shores of Cythera, the….....

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