The Birth of Venus

            Sandro Botticelli’s painting, Birth of Venus, is a prime example of the impending naturalism and realism that appears in Renaissance Art. The piece, which is quite popular among Renaissance Art, not to mention pretty famous in general, depicts Venus—the Roman Goddess of love—emerging from the sea on a shell. Two Zephyrs (symbols of spiritual passions) are blowing her toward shore while roses shower on her from the left. On the right, Horae—one of the goddesses of seasons—quickly swoops in with a cloak for Venus to cover herself with. The placement of all these figures in the composition makes it very well balanced, as they are the focal points and only subjects in the piece with a sense of gravity.

            Botticelli’s Venus is said to be derived from Praxiteles’ Aphrodite of Knidos, which is a Greek statue from the High Classical Period. Praxiteles’ piece is important because it is the first major art piece representing a female nude, being Aphrodite as she places her robes to bathe. Venus, being a goddess of love and born of the ocean, is also nude. Art representing the nude female holds a sort of sexual charge that art with male nudes does not have. This is likely because the female form is symbolic of beauty; it is fragile and treasured, which might be why the Venus attempts to cover her sexual parts. However, this “modest” Venus is a recurring theme in some pieces portraying not only the goddess, but also other females in the history of art. Even though Venus is trying to cover herself, she brings more attention to her situation and creates more tension. Praxiteles’ Aphrodite is not covered as much, and therefore lessens the sexual charge. Yet both of these figures are very similar and are portrayed in a contrapposto stance, which contributes to the naturalism of the subject. Like the Birth of Venus, much of Renaissance art is drawn from classicism of the Greek Era. This notion makes sense because artists build on each other’s work and these prior works are incredibly naturalistic with their portrayal of the human figure.

            The diagonals represented by the Zephyrs and Horae ignite a sense of anticipation, in turn creating action in the painting. The wind, even though unseen, is almost felt through this piece. It adds to the movement of the content, from the billowing gown Horae rushes to Venus, Venus’ flowing golden locks of hair, the roses fluttering down, to the mouths of the Zephyr angels whom created it all. The wind is also represented by the visible waves on the surface of the infinite turquoise ocean. This adds some depth and brings the eye into the background, where Venus likely came from. This action is consistent throughout the painting, as if Botticelli tells a story using only a picture. The viewer can easily imagine what might have happened before the event depicted, as well as what is about to happen afterward. However it is a moment frozen in time, much like a photograph, that contains a forever-active scene.

            As a whole, the Birth of Venus piece emits energy through utilizing diagonals, representing wind various ways, and making use of a bright and attractive color scheme. However, after viewing the work, I am left with a feeling of serenity, but also even a slight sense of apprehension due to the liveliness and Venus’ situation.