Also known by the titles "Venus, Cupid, Folly, and Time" and "A Triumph of Venus", this painting was on purpose designed as a complex, erotic allegory that includes an extent of iconographic symbols from the ancient world of mythology. It was a present from Cosimo de Medici to King Francis I of France. Being rich and vivid in symbolism relating to the constituting ideas of the High Renaissance, the painting gives Bronzino the opportunity to establish his maestro figure painting and portrait art. Through personification of qualities and varying contrast and brightness, Bronzino is able to justify that personal gains outweigh anything and everything that is moral. The picture symbolizes the aftermath of incestuous actions. Venus is evidently present at the center of the painting, recognizable by the golden apple in her left hand from the Greek myth The Judgement of Paris. A robust adolescent male figure with wings can be seen entwined with her. It is her son, Cupid. The undeniable sexuality of their embrace has long been debated over as scandalous behavior. Rather than channeling the act of incest in itself, Bronzino exploits these two as symbols for the personification of male and female sexuality. Whichever case it may be, the erotic narrative of the painting becomes instantly clear. Venus, determined to get Cupid’s arrow submits to dire endeavors when Cupid refuses and tries to distract him by seducing him while she takes the arrow from him. Venus and Cupid are painted
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
In the painting we see Venus and Mars resting on the grass both facing each other, surrounded by 4 infant satyrs. The scene is set on a meadow or a forest glade surrounded by myrtle trees, sacred to Venus and a symbol of love and faithfulness in marriage (Hall, 1974). Venus and Mars have engaged in a love affair and now they’re resting on the grassy field.
It is a famous example of Renaissance art showing portraiture, realism, and some perspective. In this painting there are four distinct characters. Each has a different expression that shows how they are feeling. There is also more detail in the faces then in any other parts of the painting. Another technique it demonstrates is heightened realism. Whereas before the Renaissance the figures may have been painted simply and in only enough detail to get the general idea across, these figures are shown more realistically. Lastly there is the technique of perspective as shown in the background of the painting. The sea stretches out into the sky and the land in the background is shown how it would look if the viewer was actually
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
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.
Ever since the beginning of the Stone Age around 25,000 B.C. and throughout the late classical period in 400 B.C., we can infer and see that both men and women have been portrayed in many ways when viewing particular cultures around the time period. The representation of the female body can be seen through numerous pieces of Art. Ladies and Gentleman the figurine in front of you is called “The Venus of Willendorf”, and it is the oldest female figurine statuette. It most likely symbolizes female fertility. Now some of you may be wondering why this figurine is half naked. The reason for this again ties back to the cultures of Mesopotamia. Multiple Mespopotamian related cultures seem to have made this
I have chosen a famous oil on canvas painting: Venus and Cupid by Lorenzo Lotto made around the fifteenth and sixteenth century during the Italian Renaissance period. Overall, this piece is extremely intriguing to me, I cannot imagine how the artist created it with such detail and precision. Overall, this painting has this happy and positive mood, but it is also makes me curious as to what this painting is about. It also gives me this feeling to smile for Cupid and Venus in the painting, rather than with them, as there faces are conveyed as being happy together. Its colors similarly, just like the overall painting, has this beautiful bright and cheery color that seem to suit Venus and Cupid well.
The Mazarin Venus at the Getty has been restored extensively. Scholars believe the head actually belonged to another ancient statue. Nevertheless, it is still a beautiful piece that demonstrates how the ancients viewed their gods. Venus has a beautifully proportioned and shapely figure. She has a lovely face, also classically proportioned, that is framed by curls. Her hair cascades down her back and falls over one shoulder. She gazes off to the side. She is graceful and elegant, showing herself with neither boldness nor undue modesty. She represents the female ideal of her times. Her beauty mirrors the beauty of love. The Greek sculptor who originally created the figure and the Roman sculptor who copied it did
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?
This paper will discuss relative points and insights relating to sculpture of the Paleolithic era, specifically the Venus of Willendorf, through the essays of Christopher Witcombe.
Venus of adonis was painted by Tiziano Vecellio and dates back to A.D 1400-1600. He was one of the greatest italian renaissance painter and he was recognized as a great painter early in his life. He was a master of the oil medium and a supreme colorist. Many of his paintings represent either religion, antiquity and/or beauty. In his painting of Venus and Adonis it was inspired by a tale called Ovid’s Metamorphoses and therefore was called poetry in paint, also known as poesie (The MET). The painting portrays the goddess Venus has fallen in love with Adonis. The goddess Venus is trying to hold back Adonis because she does not want him leaving, since he is a hunter. While the goddess Venus is trying to hold Adonis back, his dogs are
Florence, Italy. He left Florence in 1480 to help decorate the Sistine Chapel in Rome with some of his art which only the most famous painters of that time were invited to do. In 1482, Botticelli returned to Florence and shortly
Knowing this little fact makes the painting even more understandable. It allows the viewer to visualize the relationship between mother and son. Gentileschi may have wanted to send the message of love between mother and son through this painting. Another way to look at it is if you look at her other paintings Gentileschi revolved her paintings around subject matters of women who were known for their courage, beauty and simplicity. Her paintings mostly consisted of women being dramatically nude in which it showed her style, which is dramatic realism. Therefore there are many ways to interpret the painting Venus and Cupid by Artemisia Gentileschi, it’s just the matter of how you see it.
The fixation is set on her in the center of the painting due to the triangle of light used to create a focal point for the viewer. Surrounding her on both sides are the linear equivelants of past and future. From the left we see her creators helping her along with strength and the force of the wind. To the right we see her handmaiden ready to usher her into the world, where she will be clothed and no longer represent innocence. Both exhibit two very different forms of love and caring to Venus.