The Renaissance: The Birth of Venus




Sandro Botticelli, The Birth of Venus (c. 1484–1486). Tempera on canvas. 172.5 cm × 278.9 cm (67.9 in × 109.6 in). Uffizi, Florence



The Birth of Venus, by the artist Alessandro Botticelli during the Italian Renaissance, depicts the moment when, having emerged from the sea in a shell, Venus lands at Paphos in Cyprus. Zephyrus and the breeze Aura blows her towards the shore, while a Hora of Spring stands on dry land to wrap a cloak covered with spring flowers around Venus to cover her nudity. Venus is depicted with smooth, delicate skin and golden curls. The modeling and flesh color give her the appearance of a statue, a highly regarded medium in Florence at the time. The painting depicts she is born to the world as the goddess of beauty, and we witness this act of creation through this painting. As she lifts a foot to step off her shell, the winds shower her with roses. According to mythology, the rose flowered for the first time when Venus was born, while the orange blossom on the tree in the middle ground was edged with gold.  


It is widely believed that a member of the Medici family commissioned the Birth of Venus. In 1550 Giorgio Vasari described the painting in the Vila of Castello, which the Medici family had owned since the mid-15th century. Another fact that adds to this theory is that Orange trees, found in the painting, are an emblem of the Medici dynasty. 

Botticelli does a lot with the color that he uses in his painting. He creates a lot of forms in the painting using color. He uses blues to help us see the glass ocean in the painting while allowing us to see the water waves holding the shell in place. The Birth of Venus has darker colors throughout the image to create shadows for several things. These shadows allow us to see where the light is coming from. The shades help us to know that the light is coming from above, in front of them, and to their left. These shadows help us to understand that the people are in a three-dimensional space. He also uses color to show the roses coming from the sky and the cloak to be wrapped around Venus's nude body. 

Citations

Encyclopedia of Art Education. (n.d.). Birth of venus (1484-6). Birth of Venus, Botticelli: Interpretation, Analysis. Retrieved February 20, 2023, from http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/famous-paintings/birth-of-venus.htm

Parenti, D. (n.d.). The birth of venus by Botticelli: Artworks: Uffizi galleries. The birth of Venus by Botticelli | Artworks | Uffizi Galleries. Retrieved February 21, 2023, from https://www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/birth-of-venus

Comments

  1. Michelle J MendozaFebruary 21, 2023 at 1:24 PM

    Hi Allyse! I think the colors in this art work are beautiful I like all of the blue shades that are used. The connection into the Medici family and how you mention the orange trees are an emblem to them. I do think the nude goes against the christian values so this looks like a presentation of a rebel in the renaissance.Thank you for sharing!

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  2. Rodric LaxinaFebruary 23, 2023 at 5:31 PM

    Hi Allyse. I also like this painting, the way Venus is represented as this dainty benevolent goddess. Botticelli does a very good job with colors and lighting in this painting. I also like to add that Botticelli also uses these concepts to convey a certain mood or communicate a certain story for this painting.

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  3. Gavin LeeFebruary 23, 2023 at 9:07 PM

    Hi Allyse, great work on your blog. This painting is one of the best out there, I really find the usage of the colors on the painting very appealing. I also heard that this painting represents humanistic values and a medium to get closer to the divine, meaning that this painting has a strong influence on humanism. This painting really digs deep into the reliance on classical myths. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Clara CheneyApril 29, 2023 at 7:05 PM

    This is one of my favorite pieces by Botticelli. I am mainly partial to Greek mythology and the beauty of this painting. It still is amazing to me how people can create such beautiful works through the color paints. I love how he creates a very soft texture when it comes to Venus and everything around her does not even compare.

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