Date of creation: 1484-1486.
Type: canvas, tempera.
Location: Uffizi Gallery.
Analysis and interpretation of the birth of Venus
The unique canvas, combining religious motifs and classical antiquity, belongs to a series of mythological paintings by the famous Botticelli (1445-1510). After his arrival in Rome, three works were created for Pope Sixtus IV. Before the birth of Venus, the master created Pallas and the Centaur (circa 1482, the Uffizi Gallery), Venus and Mars (1483, the National Gallery in London) and Spring (1484–1486, the Uffizi).
The work shows the naked figure of the goddess Venus, who arose from the sea, and was commissioned by Lorenzo the Magnificent from the Medici family, who were especially interested in classical mythology and ancient legends in the context of the humanist art of the Renaissance.
Venus
Angelo Poliziano, Florentine poet, humanist and scientist, in his epic poem "Stanze per la giostra" described the process of the appearance of Venus on the shore in a shell. It was this story that inspired Botticelli to write. On the left, the main character is urged on by Zephyr, hugging his wife Chlorida. On the right, one of the harites is ready to wrap Venus' leg in a cloak decorated with flowers.
Despite the unusual proportions of the body (elongated neck, elongated left arm), Botticelli depicts Venus as an incredibly beautiful woman with smooth and delicate skin, golden curls. She appears in this world as the goddess of beauty, and the audience witnesses the act of creation. The wind turns roses around (according to the myth, when Venus was born, the rose bloomed for the first time).
Interpretations and interpretations
There are a number of interpretations of the work. The dreamy Neoplatonic theory is quite popular. According to materials allegedly belonging to the philosopher Plato, Venus was the goddess of the earth, inspiring man to physical love and the heavenly goddess, inspiring spiritual love. Probably, the audience of the 15th century felt spiritual and divine love.
Some art historians interpret the canvas as a flattering message for the powerful Lorenzo de' Medici. The image of Venus is supposedly borrowed from Simonetta Vespucci, Lorenzo's mistress and his older brother. Funny for this interpretation is the fact that Simonetta was born in the Italian city of Portovenere (from English "Port of Venus").
Critics also suggest that the naked Venus resembles Eve in the Garden of Eden. Accordingly, the goddess herself personifies the Christian church. This interpretation was also not without coincidences. "Stella Maris" (Starfish) among Catholics personifies the Virgin Mary. Perhaps the sea gives birth to Venus in a similar way to Mary giving birth to Jesus.
Lamentation over the dead Christ
Gothic meets Renaissance
The best artist in Florence borrowed a lot of ideas from Gothic art, which is confirmed by the overall style, motifs and lighting. Unlike his contemporaries, Botticelli was never an adherent of naturalism and realism. The figures on his cardboards are not endowed with a specific mass and volume and are located in a narrow perspective. Realism is not for Botticelli, which is clear from the pose and figure of Venus, he prefers humanism and decorative aesthetics from Byzantine traditions. The combination of Gothic detail and cutting-edge humanism makes this painting one of the greatest works of the Italian Renaissance.
Painting "The Birth of Venus" updated: October 23, 2017 by: Gleb
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The goddess of love and beauty in the painting by Botticelli is sad and detached from the world. Her sad face catches our eye. Why is there no happiness in it, the joy of discovering and recognizing the world? What did the artist want to tell us? Psychoanalyst Andrey Rossokhin and art historian Maria Revyakina examine the painting and tell us what they know and feel.
"The Birth of Venus" (1483-1485, Uffizi Gallery, Florence) is one of the most famous works of Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510), the great Italian painter of the early Renaissance, a representative of the Florentine school of painting.
"LOVE CONNECTS EARTHLY AND HEAVENLY"
Maria Revyakina, art historian:
Venus, personifying love, stands in a sea shell (1) , which the wind god Zephyr (2) carries to the shore. The open shell in the Renaissance was a symbol of femininity and was literally interpreted as a female womb. The figure of the goddess is sculptural, and her posture, characteristic of ancient statues, emphasizes ease and modesty. Her immaculate image is complemented by a ribbon (3) in her hair, a symbol of innocence. The beauty of the goddess is mesmerizing, but she looks thoughtful and aloof compared to other characters.
On the left side of the picture we see a married couple - the god of the wind Zephyr (2) and the goddess of flowers Flora (4) entwined in an embrace. Zephyr personified earthly, carnal love, and Botticelli enhances this symbol by depicting Zephyr with his wife. On the right side of the picture, the goddess of Spring, Ora Tallo, is depicted. (5) , symbolizing chaste, heavenly love. This goddess was also associated with the transition to another world (for example, with the moment of birth or death).
It is believed that myrtle, garland (6) from which we see on her neck, personified eternal feelings, and the orange tree (7) was associated with immortality. So the composition of the picture supports the main idea of the work: about the union of the earthly and the heavenly through love.
The color range, where blue tones predominate, gives the composition airiness, festivity and at the same time coldness.
No less symbolic is the color range, where blue tones prevail, turning into turquoise-gray shades, which gives the composition airiness and festivity, on the one hand, and a certain coldness, on the other. Blue color in those days was typical for young married women (they are surrounded by a married couple).
It is no coincidence that the presence of a large green color spot on the right side of the canvas: this color was associated both with wisdom and chastity, and with love, joy, the triumph of life over death.
Dress color (5) Ory Tallo, which fades from white to gray, is no less eloquent than the purple-red shade of the mantle (8) , with which she is going to cover Venus: the white color personified purity and innocence, and the gray was interpreted as a symbol of abstinence and Great Lent. Perhaps the color of the mantle here symbolizes the power of beauty as an earthly power and the sacred fire that appears every year on Easter as a heavenly power.
"ADMISSION OF BEAUTY AND THE PAIN OF LOSS"
Andrey Rossokhin, psychoanalyst:
The hidden confrontation in the picture of the left and right groups catches the eye. The wind god Zephyr blows on Venus from the left (2) representing male sexuality. On the right, the nymph Ora meets her with a mantle in her hands. (5) . With a caring maternal gesture, she wants to throw a cloak over Venus, as if to protect her from the seductive wind of Zephyr. And it's like fighting for a newborn. Look: the force of the wind is directed not so much at the sea or at Venus (there are no waves and the figure of the heroine is static), but at this mantle. Zephyr seems to be trying to prevent Ora from hiding Venus.
And Venus herself is calm, as if frozen in the confrontation between two forces. Her sadness, detachment from what is happening attracts attention. Why is there no happiness in it, the joy of discovering and recognizing the world?
I see in this a premonition of imminent death. Primarily symbolic - she gives up her femininity and sexuality for the sake of divine motherly power. Venus will become the goddess of love pleasure, which she herself will never experience this pleasure.
In addition, the shadow of real death also falls on the face of Venus. The Florentine lady Simonetta Vespucci, who allegedly posed for Botticelli, was the ideal of beauty of that era, but died suddenly at 23 from consumption. The artist began to paint "The Birth of Venus" six years after her death and involuntarily reflected here not only admiration for her beauty, but also the pain of loss.
Venus has no choice, and this is the reason for sadness. She is not destined to experience attraction, desire, earthly joys
Ora's clothes (5) very similar to the clothes of Flora from the painting "Spring", which acts as a symbol of fertility and motherhood. This is motherhood without sexuality. This is the possession of divine power, not sexual attraction. As soon as Ora covers Venus, her virginal image will immediately turn into a mother-divine one.
We can even see how the edge of the mantle turns into a sharp hook by the artist: he will pull Venus into a closed prison space, marked by a palisade of trees. In all this, I see the influence of the Christian tradition - the birth of a girl should be followed by an immaculate conception and motherhood, bypassing the sinful stage.
Venus has no choice, and this is the reason for her sadness. She is not destined to be a woman-lover, like the one that soars in the voluptuous embrace of Zephyr. Not destined to experience attraction, desire, earthly joys.
The whole figure of Venus, her movement is directed towards the mother. One more moment - and Venus will come out of the shell, which symbolizes the female womb: she will no longer need her. She will set foot on mother earth and put on her mother's clothes. She will wrap herself in a purple robe, which in ancient Greece symbolized the border between the two worlds - both newborns and the dead were wrapped in it.
The painting "The Birth of Venus" is one of the most famous and recognized works of art in the world, a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance. The heroine is the charming model and muse of Simonetta Vespucci, who is surrounded by many symbolic and mythological elements in the picture. What do the flowers and other symbols in the picture mean?
History of writing
Botticelli painted The Birth of Venus between 1484-85 and this work became a landmark of 15th-century painting, rich in its allegorical references. The painting was commissioned by a member of the Florentine Medici family, Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco, who was a distant relative of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici also commissioned the artist to illustrate Dante's Divine Comedy and the Allegory of Spring. The painting "The Birth of Venus" decorated the bedroom of its customer in a villa in Castello, near Florence. Simonetta Vespucci
A charming model and muse who inspired many masters, including Botticelli, was a famous young blonde from Florence. Simonetta Vespucci is the wife of Marco Vespucci, cousin of the famous Amerigo Vespucci, whose name was given to the new continent of America. Simonetta was a legendary beauty, and the Medicis were obsessed with her, openly demonstrating their admiration despite her married status. Simonetta died very young, at the age of 23, and is buried in the church of Ognissanti in Florence. 
The plot of the picture
In the picture, in a mythologized form, Botticelli sings of the union of the spiritual and the material, the heavenly and the earthly. The representation of mythological motifs was a major trend during the Renaissance. Allegories taken from classical culture, the gods of Olympus and mythology were used to express humanistic values. And Florence was just the center of humanistic research. Venus Humanitas - Venus Human - is born among the natural elements. The triumphant goddess of love and beauty, the Romans knew her as Venus, and for the Greeks she was Aphrodite. Venus, according to the Greek poet Hesiod, who wrote the Theogony, was born from sea foam. Venus is charmingly seductive with her feminine sloping shoulders, delicate forms, expressive hands and lush hair. , whose captivating portraits were left by many artists (including Piero di Cosimo and Botticelli himself).
Despite the unusual size of her body - an elongated neck and a long left arm - Venus Botticelli is an incredibly beautiful woman with smooth, delicate skin and golden curls. She lifts her foot to step off her gilded shell as the wind floods her with flowers. She is born to the world as the goddess of beauty, and the viewer is a witness to this act of creation.
Other heroes of the picture
After her birth, Venus came ashore in a shell, repelled by the breath of Zephyr, god of the wind. In the picture we see Zephyr embracing the nymph Flora. It was believed that Zephyr's breath had the ability to fertilize and create new life. His embrace with the nymph symbolizes an act of love. On the right is a maidservant (Ora) ready to wrap a cloak adorned with spring flowers around Venus to cover her nakedness. She is the embodiment of one of the Greek goddesses of the seasons (the floral decoration of her dress suggests that she is the goddess of Spring). 
Writing technique
Worth mentioning is the exceptional technique and fine materials used to complete the work. For a long time, wood panels were the most popular for painting and would remain popular until the end of the 16th century. The canvas gradually gained additional popularity. It cost less than wood and was considered less formal and more suitable for private clients. Botticelli used expensive alabaster in the process of writing, which made the colors even brighter and better. In addition, the painting has the artist's own unique developments: Botticelli prepared his pigments with a very low fat content and covered them with a layer of pure egg white, which was an unusual technique for his time. Thanks to this technique, Botticelli's paintings are more like a fresco with their freshness and brightness. Thus, it is the first work done on canvas in Tuscany and "the first large-scale canvas produced during the Renaissance in Florence".
Symbolism
1. Shell - reflects the oceanic origin of Venus, symbolically connecting with the birth of man. The sea beauty-shell, as well as her smaller sister, the river shell, is a water and lunar sign, as well as a female symbol. It is also the emblem of love, marriage and prosperity.2. Zephyr - the god of the wind.
3. Flora - the wife of the god of the western wind Zephyr and the mother of all plants. She is the one who nourishes and gives life. The union of Zephyr and Flora is often considered as an allegory of the unity of carnal (Flora) and spiritual (Zephyr) love.
4. Reeds - a symbol of the modesty of Venus, who, as it were, is ashamed of her beauty.
5. Ora Tallo - in Greek mythology, one of Or (spring), the goddess of flowering plants
6. Violets - The meadow is strewn with violets, a symbol of modesty but often used for love potions.
7. Rose - a white rose is a "flower of light", a symbol of innocence, virginity, chastity and purity, spiritual revelation, charm.
8. The island to which Venus arrives is Cyprus or Sitherea.
9. The orange tree is one of the most prolific trees and an ancient symbol of fertility. Orange is associated with magnificence and love.
10. Daisy - a symbol of love, spring and fertility.
In the inventory of the painting "Birth of Venus" marked: "Venus in the sea, standing on a shell." This is how sometimes you can put a world masterpiece in the soulless framework of a few words. What is shown in the painting by Sandro Botticelli "Birth of Venus"? Let's try to describe it, shall we?
The central image of this picture is the newly born beauty- Venus which, on a seashell, floats to the shore under the breath of god of the west wind, Zephyr rushing over the sea in the arms of his beloved Flora. With delicate roses, giving lightness to its air currents (a rose in mythology is venus symbol, the flower that emerged from the drops of her blood father - Uranus). This moment symbolizes the act of incarnation into a person by Her Majesty Nature, where, in contact with matter, the life-giving spirit breathes the human world into the goddess, so that she goes further and brings beauty and love to people.
On the other hand, the girl is in a hurry nymph Ora, which is the embodiment of Nature, symbolizing that historical moment of human perfection, holding out a cloak to Venus, endowing her with the best virtues. Ora - one of the three mountains, a nymph of the seasons and, judging by the flowers embroidered on her clothes, patronizes precisely that period of the year when the strength and power of Venus reaches its climax. Perhaps the great Renaissance artist was inspired to paint the picture by one of Homer's hymns, in which god west wind, Zephyr brought Venus (Aphrodite) to the island of Cyprus, where she was accepted into the arms of the Mountain.
According to the master himself, Venus is harmony, born from a well-coordinated union of matter and spirit, nature and soul, love and ideas.
Sandro Botticelli from the painting "The Adoration of the Magi", where he portrayed himself.
This is one of the ingenious creations of the artist, which, like his other magnificent work, remained in complete oblivion for more than three hundred years, being in one of the small villas in the vicinity. capital of Tuscany - Florence. Come to think of it, the painting was a little larger, half a meter more vertically, mostly the top of the painting, and a quarter meter more horizontally. With the missing centimeters, the ideal ratio of space would be achieved, namely, the abundance of air currents above the heads of the characters in the picture, as if we had taken a few steps back.
Who is the muse that inspired Sandro Botticelli to paint the picture "Birth of Venus", because Venus is perhaps the most captivating image of the great artist Italian Renaissance. The painting was commissioned by cousin Lorenzo the Magnificent, Duke of Florence in 1486. A model
was born on the Ligurian coast, in the town of Portovenere. She was a lover, and was the embodiment of beauty and love itself, which is why Sandro himself warmed his hands at someone else's fire with such a mind-depriving desire. For a long time, the artist maintained warm relations with the Medici family, but was especially friendly with Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco Medici for whom he painted pictures and "Spring". The love of Giuliano and Simonetta became the most discussed event for the Florentines, although it was not long. Soon Simonetta dies of consumption, and two years later, on the day of the burial of Simonetta Vespucci, April 26, while mourning his beloved, Giuliano was stabbed to death in the cathedral.
Sandro Botticelli bequeathed to be buried next to his muse. 34 years after the death of Simonetta Vespucci, Sandro Botticelli was buried at the feet of a sleeping beauty in Florence, in the Ognissanti Church, built by a member of the Vespucci family.
Unfortunately, most of the paintings by Sandro Botticelli died during the life of the artist in religious conflagrations. times of Savonarola, but The Birth of Venus miraculously survived and now it decorates the hall Uffizi Art Gallery in Florence.
Approaching the hall where my favorite painting by my favorite artist is located, I felt a special inner trembling. And here it is, before my eyes. It's done.
Svetlana Conobella, from Italy with love.
About konobella
Svetlana Conobella, writer, publicist and sommelier of the Italian Association (Associazione Italiana Sommelier). Cultivist and implementer of various ideas. What inspires: 1. Everything that goes beyond the conventional wisdom, but respect for tradition is not alien to me. 2. The moment of unity with the object of attention, for example, with the roar of a waterfall, sunrise in the mountains, a glass of unique wine on the shore of a mountain lake, a fire burning in the forest, a starry sky. Who inspires: Those who create their world full of bright colors, emotions and impressions. I live in Italy and love its rules, style, traditions, as well as "know-how", but the Motherland and compatriots will forever be in my heart. www..portal editorAnd the beauty of Venus, as well as her Greek "sister" Aphrodite, for many centuries was sung by poets, sculptors, artists. Myths about her have survived to this day, as well as many works of art in which she invariably embodied the ideal of female beauty. And one of the most famous masterpieces dedicated to her, of course, is the "Birth of Venus" by Sandro Botticelli. So what do we know about this painting?
Botticelli to Venus
Not everyone knows about this, but the author of the famous painting was a man named Alessandro Filipepi. He became Botticelli later, having received this nickname, translated from Italian meaning "barrel", after his older brother, who was distinguished by a fair amount of excess weight. The future great painter was born in Florence in 1445 in the family of a tanner and at first wanted to be a jeweler. However, after two years of studying with the goldsmiths, he chose to become an apprentice to the artist Fillippo Lippi. He stayed in his workshop for five years before he left, and the young Sandro moved to Verrocchio.
A couple of years later, in 1470, he began independent work. Having opened his own workshop, the young man quickly gained popularity and recognition. Over the next decade, he acquired a large number of influential customers, among whom was the Medici family. At the same time, he was fond of the ideas of Neoplatonism, which had a significant impact on his work. From the end of 1470, Botticelli's fame went beyond Florence, and he went to Rome to work on frescoes, which were only to become world famous thanks to another genius - Michelangelo. Only three years remained before the appearance of the work of his life.
History of the painting
The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli is deservedly considered a masterpiece of world painting. At the same time, this picture carries a lot of mysteries. Let's start with the fact that it is not known for certain who is its customer. Based on the fact that the canvas was stored in the Villa Castello near Florence, which was owned by Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco Medici, most art historians claim that it was he who paid for the work. According to other versions, initially the customer was a completely different person. Well, this picture, like "Spring", which will be discussed a little later, came to the Medici later. Be that as it may, there is no longer any documentary evidence of the one who originally ordered the painting "Venus" by Botticelli.
Description
The painting is a canvas about 2 by 3 meters, it is made on canvas. It depicts a young naked woman on the seashore, standing in a shell and symbolizing Venus. To her left are the gods of the winds, who apparently helped her swim, and to her right, one of the Graces, hurrying towards her with a red robe to cover her. Venus is surrounded by flowers (roses, anemones), reeds below. Strictly speaking, this is not a birth, but rather the arrival of a goddess on earth.
Symbolism
"The Birth of Venus" is a painting by Botticelli, which is often cited as an example, talking about how skillfully artists weave hidden meaning into their canvases. It especially clearly shows the influence of the author of Neoplatonism - a doctrine that combines some ideas of both Christianity and paganism. The following most clear symbols are distinguished:
- The shell in which Venus stands is exactly the form that personifies the female womb.
- The winds located on the left side of the picture (some still mistake them for angels) in the form of figures of a man and a woman symbolize the unity of carnal and spiritual love.
- Ora Tallo (according to another version - one of the Graces) was "responsible" for the spring, and it is at this time of the year that the goddess is born.
- Roses are a recognized symbol of love.
- Cornflowers on the robe of Grace are the personification of fertility.
- The ivy and myrtle around her neck symbolize affection and fertility, respectively.
- Anemones at the feet of Gracia are the flowers of the goddess Venus, according to myths, appeared from the tears she shed, grieving after the death of her beloved Adonis.
- Reeds are a symbol of modesty.
- in the upper right corner - a sign of eternal life.
- And finally, red is the divine power that beauty bestows.
As you can see, the painting "The Birth of Venus" by Sandro Botticelli contains enough symbolism. And what can be said about the person who became the prototype of the main character of the canvas?
Model
The most likely candidate for the role of the goddess of love in this case is in the 1470s, at the age of 16, she came to Florence with her husband and immediately became her first beauty. Sandro probably knew her even before that - he communicated quite closely with her family, since he lived with his parents in the next block. There is no real information about how close the artist and model were, but experts on Botticelli's work believe that from the moment they met, all Madonnas and Venuses were written from her.
However, Simonetta was married, and besides, many townspeople, including very influential ones, were her admirers. One of them - Giuliano Medici, Lorenzo's younger brother - was even considered her lover, although there is no evidence that his feelings were not platonic. It is possible that she simply remained the lady of his heart, as was customary then.
Simonetta could have inspired many more artists of her time with her beauty, but at the age of 23, in 1976, she died of consumption. Her death was a grief for almost all of Florence.
"Venus" Botticelli appeared only 9 years after her death, and yet the goddess on her is so fresh and beautiful. The artist lived alone until the end of his life, never getting married. It seems that Simonetta, who found her immortality in the famous canvas, remained his only lover.
Location
Currently, the masterpiece is located in the same place where it was created - in Florence, in As a rule, people crowd around the picture all the time, but sometimes you can still seize the moment to thoroughly examine it both close up and from afar.
- "Spring" and "Venus" by Botticelli have the same model as the central figure, but they were written with a break of 7 years.
- When creating the canvas, the artist used innovative techniques for his time - crushed lapis lazuli to obtain blue paint, used a canvas, not a board, added a minimum amount of fat to the paints, and also covered the painting with egg yolk, thanks to which it has survived to this day almost in its original form. .
- In the proportions and pose of Venus, the influence of classical Greek sculpture, the canons of which were laid down by Praxiteles and Polikleitos, is clearly traced.
Cultural influence
The painting "Venus" by Botticelli is the first canvas depicting a completely naked female figure, the plot of which is not dedicated to original sin. And she deservedly became the main masterpiece, glorifying the beauty that does not need anything else. Against the background of the rest of the artist's works, which have mainly religious themes, this plot seems strange. Nevertheless, perhaps without this "Venus" we would have lost many of the world's masterpieces, without which it is simply impossible to imagine the history of art today.
And today "Venus" Botticelli continues to inspire artists, photographers, models. Numerous imitations are created, but the original, which embodies the ideal of female beauty, can only be one.
