The Birth of Venus
The Birth of Venus is created from year between 1484–1486 in Renaissance era, by Sandro Botticelli was an
Italian artist from Florence, Italy, and was one of the first artists to include the nude outside of Christian themes
of the start of the Renaissance. The Birth of Venus is painted on canvas of the height of 172.5cm and width of
Detail of Venus
As we can see in the middle of the painting, Venus is the nude women standing on a seashell and bout to step
onto the shore. Her right foot poised on the rim and left on the brown curl of the underside. Her left hand
covered public region with her long golden hair, right hand covered her right breast. Her body slightly slanting
to right and her head indented to left while her hair blown to right. She having long neck and shoulders and left
arm which seems dislocated.
Detail of Zephyr and Chloris
On the left of the painting, there are 2 figure which is zephyr the male and Chloris the female. They blowing air
filled with roses towards Venus. Zephyr’s checks were puffed white line of wind blown out, his black hair
blown back and body slanting to right. His right leg posted diagonal straight and left lifted up. His right hand
throwing out and left hand clasps to Chloris. He and Chloris having a black fur wing and wearing a cape which
only covered half of his body surface and Chloris’s breast shown. Chloris put her arm about his chest and she
wrapped around Zephyr with her leg.
Detail of Horae
On the right of the painting, there is a female name Horae. She is wearing a garment and a sash of pink rose.
Her body and leg slightly slanting to left and hold out a flowered cloak toward Venus with the right hand lifted
up. The background included the stimulated texture on shell, cloth, flower, tree and waves. There is some lines
involve in this painting, which is geometric line on sea and tree, curve line on hair and organic line on cloth and
human figure. All of the figure and most of the object like plant and seashell is in 3D shape. The color that has
used in this painting is more to cold color on the space of background green on land and blue on sky and sea,
which the warm color will be on the skin tone figure, pink roses, light brown shell and orange cloak.
Venus having an unusual long neck, her shoulder and left arm seems dislocated, as well as Chloris, her leg is
wrapped around Zephyr which they two having inaccurate human proportion and scale. The entire figure having
the movement of diagonal implied line, which Zephyrs and Chloris moving towards right and breath blow the
wind to Venus. Horae move to left and holding the cloak that created movement. The implied lines of the hair
blown on every figure create a flow of movement by the wind.Movement also created on the repetition of the
organic line on cloth and texture of sea waves, also the shape on roses flow. Asymmetrical balance is applied
which the position of left figure contain less space and right figure ground contain more space which the overall
space is a horizon infinite on sea and sky. The color uses of light pink roses on the left are balance with the red
cloak with the print of blossom tipped with gold on right. The color value in this painting having dark tone on
land and trees that has a gold spine and outline on the leaf, light tone on sky which the early spring morning
with sunlight and sea which the brighter tone will be on human figure, mostly on Venus. The technique used in
this painting which is tempera pigments with little fat covered with layer of pure egg white, it resembles fresco
in freshness and brightness on a large scale canvas. The subjective view of this painting is creating warm mood
which Zephyrs and Chloris is sending Venus to shore by their warm breeze and spring flower shows also
peaceful mood. It is lovely that Horae is about to receive and cover Venus with cloak in this birth celebration
event.
The artist intention included of the inspiration of poem and painting. Botticelli influenced by Angelo Poliziano’s
poems and especially by Marsilio Ficino’ philosophical ideas, most often cited classical sources on Homeric
Hymns which published in Florence in 1488 by the Greek refugee Demetrioss Chalcondyles.
Of august gold-wreathed and beautiful
Aphrodite I shall sing to whose domain
belong the battlements of all sea-loved
Cyprus where, blown by the moist breath
of Zephyros, she was carried over the
waves of the resounding sea on soft foam.
The gold-filleted Horae happily welcomed
her and clothed her with heavenly raiment.
Lorenzo de Medici’s poems, Ruticus and Stanze are also considered.
A Pompeian mural of Venus Anadyomene
Botticelli also inspired by the ancient painting by Apelles name “Anadyomene Venus”, after written description
by the 2nd century historian Lucian of masterpieces of ancient Greece, the title was also used for Botticelli’s
painting. The Birth of Venus having a scene of event that created from the poem by Angelo Poliziano and a
model reference of Simonetta Cattaneo Vespucci which is the mistress of Alexander the Great. She was not
coincidentally born in the Tuscan seaside town of Portovenere also the port of Venus, so she chosen to be the
model for the lost Venus executed by the legendary Apelles. Emotionalism has also involved in this painting,
the message in this painting may feel deeply in tune of love, the love of paradise. Venus having the expression
of remote and sad maybe she knows that mortals cannot look upon love unclothed. She becomes a
personification of the Christian church which offers a spiritual transport back to the pure love of eternal
salvation; it’s a traditionally symbolic pilgrimage context. She is the earthly goddess who aroused humans to
physical love or a heavenly goodness who inspired intellectual love in them. Zephyrs the Greek god of west
wind having a symbol of spiritual passion as the messenger of spring. Chloris the goddess of Aura with gentle
breeze and domain flower. Horae, the goddess of the seasons named “goddess of spring”. All of the goddess is
celebrating and greeting the birth of ultimate symbol of love. At last the painting became a function of gift with
another famous painting from Botticelli the La Primavera gave to Lorenzo de Medici’s young 2nd cousin
Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco for the decoration of his new Villa di Castello as a celebration of his marriage with
Semiramide Appiani.
Lorenzo de Medici an Italian banker and also a politician, he probably commissioned the painting, as his poem
has given the inspiration to Botticelli and Botticelli is protected under Medici’s family. After that the painting
was commissioned to Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco as a gift of celebrate his marriage from Lorenzo de Medici and
display at Castello Villa. Now the painting was commissioned to the Galleria degli Uffizi Florence, Italy for
exhibition and display purpose to public. Most of those art student, lecturer, and artist will appreciate the art
work because it might be used in their research and knowledge. The Florentine humanist would have
appreciated of the erudite on this painting. As well as Christian member which appreciated the presented of
goddess story and also can be suggest appropriate behavior to brides and grooms. While 15th-century viewers
would more appreciated as looked at the painting and they felt their minds lifted to the realm of divine love.
Most of the audience will be the guest of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco that have been invited to his Castello Villa
on his wedding day would have the opportunity to view the painting and also those public who has visited the
Galleria degli Uffizi.
Reference
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