Analysis Of Lorenzo Lotto's 'Venus And Cupid'

There are also several doves at the bottom of the painting, presumably indicating purity and perhaps symbols of love as well. (Wall Text 2012)

In Jean-Honoré Fragonard painting The Happy Lovers (appendix: fig. 1), viewers are able to get a glimpse into the light-hearted, playful Rococo period. The Happy Lovers is a 35.5 x 47.75 in. oil painting, that was created between the years 1760–5 in France for an unnamed aristocrat; however, it can now be found in the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California. The Rococo period was a result of artists resisting the stiff monarchy, and desiring open expressionism–this was particularly emphasized through nature. The two great artists from this period are Fragonard and François Boucher, Fragonard’s teacher. A result of Boucher teaching Fragonard, specifically in the continuation of pastoral, Boucher was a great influence. This is obvious when The Happy Lovers is compared to Boucher’s The Bird Catchers (appendix: fig. 2). Both paintings include subjects of women holding bird catchers and doves, ultimately symbolizing woman’s ability to control relationships. More specific to The Happy Lovers, the woman dangles the cage above the boy, who is carrying a dove, a symbol of Venus–the goddess of love. However, in the bottom left quadrant of the painting there is an even larger cage with more doves, hinting at the idea that women can easily capture many men. This further expands the sensual intention Fragonard creates. In placing this scene within a secluded landscape, Fragonard emphasizes the flirtation and secretiveness between the two lovers–creating an unstructured, blissful

Peter Paul Rubens’ masterpiece, Venus and Adonis, is not only a significant artwork of the baroque-period in Europe during the seventeenth century, but it also tells the mythological story that begins with love, and ends in tragedy. Displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this painting is admired for representing the unique baroque-style of this era, as well as Rubens’ particular use of the medium and how it reaches those who are viewing it. His attention to detail and crafty use of symbolism within the painting assist viewers in deciphering the story, along with the values of the period in which Rubens was living. In studying the composition of the work and noting the historical context from which it came, one can ultimately

You can practically feel the intensity of the moment that Manfredi decided to pick to tell us this mythological tale. We can see all the destressed emotion that each of the characters are displaying at this moment. The male figure, who I assumed to be Mars, has an expression of determination, and has sort of a soulless/emotionless look on his eyes that shows no remorse or regret. In his hand we see that he is holding a rope, and is in motion to whip. In this position see Mars overpowering the smaller male, assumed to be Cupid, as he is trying, and failing, to pull away from Mars’ powerful presence. We see that Mars is not even holding a tight grip on Cupid, who is very frightened of Mars’ presence and is submitting to him and is dreading the punishment he is about to receive. Cupid, even though he is too god, his is presented as a child like being, having more a boyish appeal to the viewers of the painting. Cupid is presented with white wings, a cloth over his eyes, and is trying to flailing away from his punisher. The position that Mars is putting Cupid in makes the harsh motions of his action look as if it was a father punishing a youth. And the role that the woman, Venus, is playing is the mother, whose actions of stopping Mars from punishing Cupid, but her actions are futile. In her hand you see that she is holding on to some of Cupid’s arrows, Venus is shown in the image of a

The grotesque and incestuous relationship that the Dorsets sustain functions as another gothic element in the text. One of the definite obscurities in the Dorsets’ house would be the hanging of various pictures, specifically Bronzino’s “Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time”. It is a tiny color print and described as “simply being tacked on the wall, and obviously been torn from a book or magazine” (Taylor, 765). The picture could be interpreted as a family interacting and behaving immorally, further enhancing the notion that the Dorsets do not just have a sibling relationship but rather a more intimate connection. This print acted as a focal point of the house and further detailed the Dorsets’ incestuous relationship. In the end, the Dorsets are overcome by their monstrous

I selected this painting because the colour contrast of the pink dress against the dark background caught my eye. I also found the expression of the young woman to be interesting.

The two works of art that I have chosen is the painting The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli and the poem Stanze per la Giostra by Angelo Poliziano. The Birth of Venus was created between 1484 and 1486 by Sandro Botticelli. It was created in the early Renaissance period and is currently located in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. Stanze per la Giostra was written between 1475 and 1478 by the Renaissance poet Angelo Poliziano. Its current location is the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, although it is currently not on display. The Birth of Venus and Stanze per la Giostra share many similarities as Stanze per la Giostra was Botticelli’s inspiration for creating The Birth of Venus. In The Birth of Venus, Botticelli has transformed Poliziano’s words into a beautiful work of art. These works of art share the theme of beauty. While Angelo Poliziano describes the beauty of the goddess Venus in his prose, Botticelli has captured her beauty with his delicate brush strokes. I will be comparing the theme of beauty between The Birth of Venus and Stanze per la Giostra as well as connecting it to contemporary standards of beauty.

The main focus of the painting intended by Titian is a nude woman, Venus, looking straightforwardly at the audience. The young woman’s nipples are erect; with her left hand covers her pubic area, the sexuality of this painting is unquestionable. She is completely naked except for the ring on her little finger and the bracelet around her wrist. It is clear that the intention of this painting is to evoke sensual feelings in its audience.

The visual work I have chosen is the Bith of Venus and is one of the world’s most famous works of art. Painted by Sandro Botticelli between 1482 and 1485, it is the first example of painting on canvas. The written work I have chosen is the Stanze per la Giostra. It was written by Angelo Poliziano, written between 1475-8. Both works are examples from the Italian Renaissance era, during the Medici rule, and share the theme of beauty and humanism. The works I've selected share the same subject matter, Venus, and is the perfect example of beauty and humanism. She is the epitome of beauty and her birth from the sea is an example of her metamorphosis of humanism. For this paper, I will compare both works then discuss how the shared theme is seen in contemporary works. How does Venus and her beautiful metamorphosis fit into contemporary forms of beauty and humanism?

Concerning color, there is a stark contrast between the figure on the painting and the background. More specifically, the figure of the woman is predominantly delineated in white color, especially pale, ashen white, as far her apparel and facial complexion are concerned, while there are also various hues of grey, with respect to her hair and accessory feather. These white and grey shades are vividly contrasted with the prevailing red and crimson hues of the background (viz. the drape, armchair, and table). Moreover, one can detect colors of dark green (jewelry), some beige on the left (pillar), and darker or lighter shades of blue on the right side of the canvas (sky), which all in concert and in addition to the subtle purple hue forming the sun or moon exude a certain dramatic sentiment. Also, there is brown, which often easily segues into gold (viz. books and attire details respectively). The main contrast of colors between white and red would be interpreted as serving the purpose of rendering the figure of the woman, and especially her face, the focal point of the work, despite, paradoxically enough, the lush red shades at the background. Bearing that in mind, the significance of the woman’s face will be enlarged upon later, when discussing aspects of her identity.

The intertwined arms and legs in the center of the painting and the overlapping of their bodies allude to two becoming one. Additionally, their positions mirror each other, their overlapping bodies are parallel, and their gazes are cast in the same direction. This mix of limbs contributes to the painting’s overall sense of romance and intimacy. The position of Venus’ arms and legs, in particular, create the dramatic element of the piece. As if Veronese caught a snapshot of the two, Venus’ slightly contorted body seems to be paused in the middle of a movement. Even so, the painting radiates a stillness. Venus’ outstretched body is balanced by Adonis wrapped around her backside. Adonis’ embrace grounds Venus, both literally in the painting and figuratively in the mythological

To the right of the painting is Nymph, also known as "The Hours", Greek goddesses of the seasons. She has on a very elegant dress and holds a robe out for Venus which is decorated with red and white daises, as well as yellow flowers of some sort, and blue cornflowers. These are all flowers of spring time which is appropriate for the theme of birth. The Nymph also wears garland which is also decorated with roses. The Nymph seems to be welcoming not only Venus, but the season of spring as well. This open arms welcome is very comforting to view.

and Mrs. John Custance rises above the genre of portraiture to represent the new ideology of marriage in the late eighteenth-century of England. The strong compositional elements coupled with Neoclassical and a Baroque stylistic feature indicates the wealth of the subjects but also gives emphasis to the actual union. Without the grandeur style of allegories, the painting would not edge towards the historical painting genre. The combination of Hymen and Cupid is instrumental in developing the theme of the painting and the painting’s prestige towards the historical genre. The presentation of the newlyweds with figures from antiquity gives a divine quality to their union. The overall stylistic features mirror the concept of affectionate marriages by merging the meanings of Cupid and Hymen and changing the focus of the painting to the interaction of the couple. West fashions a painting that is morally instructive and reserved, but retains theatricality from the Neoclassical

The portrait is displayed horizontally with a gold trimmed frame. The subject is a female that looks to be in her early 20’s sitting upright on a large brown chair. If the viewer travels up the painting the first indication of the woman’s class is her satin, blue dress. The saturated blue shines and falls in the light like water. Paired with the dress are her exceptionally detailed endings to her sleeves. The lace is even painted as though it is translucent, allowing a little of the blue dress to show through the sleeve. Flowers throughout history have symbolized innocence of a woman and her virginity. The repeating theme of flowers, in the sleeve cuffs and ribbon) in the woman’s attired suggests her purity or innocent nature. Another very details section of the painting includes the corset/torso details. The sewing suggests texture in the torso with small beading in between. Towards the top of the chest in the center, the female seems to bear an extravagant, ribbon piece with a tear drop bead in the center. The light pink

Cupid is the god of desire and attraction and is associated with being the son of Venus. Cupid carries two different kinds of arrows which have opposite effect of each other. The first arrow that kindles love, has a sharp gleaming point and is colored gold (Schaefer 19). This golden arrow if struck by it a person would be filled with this huge desire to love. The second arrow associated with Cupid is blunt and tipped with lead (Schaefer 19). The arrow of lead if struck by it a person is overwhelmed with the feeling of running away from love. The arrow that Cupid is holding in this painting is the lead arrow which will cause Venus to flee from love. Schaefer writes, “Venus restrains him to prevent him from extinguishing an already kindled love, the love of the beholder who looks into the eyes of Venus and for whom the portrait must have been painted” (Schaefer 19). With having a male as the respected purchaser of this painting this adds to the evidence that the purpose of the painting is a marriage portrait. Another thing to observe is the gold bejeweled belt that Venus is wearing. Women wearing belts similar to this one during this time was a symbol of marriage (Schaefer 19). The last thing to take notice is towards the left of the painting the tree with