The Birth of Venus Essay

Venus of Urbino demonstrates a beautiful, young woman, Venus, lying nude on what appears to be a reclined couch or bed. However, the woman illustrated means much more than merely a nude woman. There have been many interpretations of this beautiful woman over the years but many art historians agree that the Venus of Urbino has to do unambiguously with the male sexual desire for the female nude body.

The style of the Venus of Willendorf is appropriate for her time period because most early pre-historic art consists of small figurines of nude women with little or no emphasis on facial features, which are exactly the characteristics of the Venus of Willendorf.

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

It portrayed the woman as being the care giver of life, and it showed her as something everyone looked up to, either for riturals or as a figurine of fertility. She may have been the Goddess of life; a status similar to “Mother Earth.”. However, I believe that the purpose of ti was to show woman what their capabilities were, and it seemed to focus on the strengths that they possessed and what their functions in society were. In this case, the large breasts, stomach, and hips (Selen). It potentially was used to symbolize new life, or maybe even a new beginning. Now if you focus on this statuette you will notice that it’s roughly only about 4 inches long. The statuette is named the “Venus of Willendorf” after Willendorf, Austria, where she was found, and the name “Venus” was named after the ancient Roman Goddess of Love

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?

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

In “Venus of Urbino,” Titian formed a good composition that balances somewhat the delicate static character of the reclining Venus with a consistent dynamic component. The painting

Given the accuracy of the representation of the anatomy depicted in the Venus of Willendorf, that is the way the breasts hang and the way the "fat"

I was drawn to this time period as well as these two sculptures. As I researched both sculptures I was fascinated by how much respect the people of that time had for their women. Not only for what they could do for them, but also for what they looked like. They didn’t see the weight and size as a grotesque thing; but more as a thing of beauty. In

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.

nude goddess and depicted the same image in his painting The Birth of Venus (1482). This

This artwork is an oil painting called ‘Venus of Urbino’ by Titian Vecellio and painted in 1538. This painting was commissioned by Guidobaldo Rovere and Duke of Urbino to celebrate his marriage in 1534. It exemplifies the Venetian Renaissance style. It also contains use of colorito (color and light), emphasis on mood, and sensual erotic subject matter. In this artwork, there was a long standing debate on who the woman in the painting actually is. Since there is no concrete written evidence of Titian’s thoughts, the question is open to multiple interpretations.

Rops’s painting, titled Pornocrates painted in 1878, depicts a blindfolded woman dressed in nothing but stockings, shoes, gloves, a hat and a bow around her waist. She is walking a pig on a leash surrounded by flying putti. At first glance, this woman would appear to be a classical nude, but her attributes show she is only a naked woman. Aspects of Pornocrates can be compared to Alexandre Cabanel’s Birth of Venus, painted in 1863. In Cabanel’s work, Venus is a classical nude positioned in a coy, feminine pose, also with putti around her. The woman in Pornocrates wears pieces of modern dress, depicting her as inappropriately undressed and lewd. She is the personification of the loose morals and hedonistic nature of prostitutes found in the big city. Although also similar to Cabanel, the putti in Rops’s work are striking semi-sexual and revealing poses, dissuading the viewer of their

Artemisia Gentileschi’s Venus and Cupid is a painting of an angel caressing a woman resting on the bed. In actuality, the painting is about Venus, the Goddess of Love, who is asleep in a very luxurious and classical environment. While she is asleep, Cupid diligently wields a peacock-feathered fan to keep away pests, which makes the environment more safe and peaceful. Primarily strong contrasting lights and darkness display Gentileschi’s work, perhaps inspired by both her father and Caravaggio. Her paintings are all primarily bold compositions for example the

The Birth of Venus (Nascita di Venere) is a painting done by Florentine artist Sandro Botticelli in 1486. The painting depicts the moment the goddess Venus first emerges from the waters of the sea and prepares to step onto the shore. Through linear techinques and artistic symbolism, the painting not only depicts the story and narrative of the goddess Venus’s birth but also seeks to exhibit the many different types of love and adoration which surround the creation of life.