The Birth of Venus: Through the Ages
Introduction:
For this project, I was inspired by mythology but as there are numerous key figures who are all interconnected it is challenging to focus on one set God or Goddess’s background. Therefore, I set out to enforce the significant intertwining of the Roman and Greek legends. The reason I decided to deconstruct Venus was primarily due to her connections with Aphrodite; I also plan to begin deconstructing the Sandro Botticelli painting “Birth of Venus” and discuss its purpose in portraying the mythological Goddess. I will focus primarily on Venus in this research report however in my dissertation I will contrast Venus with Atlas as he is a key counterpart of Venus in the Greek lore, with numerous legends surrounding him. Both Venus and Atlas are clear stereotypes of men and women, so I will be contrasting these classical concepts with one another as well as contrasting them with modern day examples. The purpose in this research report is to get a more in-depth understanding of the art work Sandro Botticelli’s birth of Venus along with it’s reproductions and variations.
One of the most powerful things about Athena culture is the focus on the youthful athletically built body which was considered a symbol of political and module virtue. It is important that Athens was a city devoted to the human form as Greek art, statues and drawings of human beings have all been formed on this belief. Images in this era played their part in influencing the minds of the people and their presence in public plazas was extreme; they used everything from statues to real humans covered in blood as art forms to depict the power of the athletic body. For me personally, this focus on form connects to my studio practice as I am currently trying to make art relatable to athletes and vice versa. My original starting point was looking at the Olympians and the culture of the original Olympic games, which then lead me to look into Greek mythology; from that I became aware of the close connections it has with Roman mythology and from there I focused on Venus.
To date one of the most valuable sources I have found when gathering information have included Theoi.com, which has insured my historical information and mythological terminology is correct. Alongside this, a one to one conversation with Laura Lindop, who is a former associate of the Boston museum of Fine Art in the manner of a formal debate discussing the subject matter enabled my understanding of the roots of Venus-related works as well as works it went on to inspire. However, my intrigue was not in comparing the works but being well informed of the variety of Venus related subject matter. A BBC documentary called ‘Civilisations’ gave me both important and relevant information regarding the significance of sculpture as an art form, which was heavily undertaken by the Greeks to depict their Deities.
Interconnection of mythologies:
The beauty of art history is that everything is traceable to the past and is stitched together into a complex and confusing timeline, where stories constantly overlap.
The time gap between Greek and Roman mythology is roughly a century nevertheless this didn’t stop the latter from being heavily influenced by the former. Greek mythology is subtly woven into the Roman Gods and Goddesses through reflecting similar attributes that the original Greek counterparts where depicted to have. Roman mythology wasn’t just used to explain supernatural forces and to aid the commoners understanding of the world and its origins; it was also used to keep the people obedient under the Roman state which explains why there are elements of politics within the mythology instead of just pure morality.
Greek mythology had a strong influence on the Italian peninsula during the protohistory of Rome, which in turn lead to the influence of Greek mythology on the Romans. The romans treated their legends as true narratives and historical facts, even in the case of supernatural elements and often related how one’s personal integrity and individuality was connected to the community and state and their responsibilities to that, with a large focus on heroism. Roman authors imitated Greek literature as they wanted their gods to be identifiable with that of the Greeks and a prime example of this is the god Apollo. In Greek mythology he is the god of the Sun, logic and reason who has notable abilities such as musical talents as well as healing. Worshipped by the Romans under the same name, Apollo was the god of light, music and healing. Its important to note that not all deities were carbon copies as there was a definite degree of separation between the two mythologies. Certain Roman gods were gifted with extra characteristics to distinguish them from their original Greek counterparts. A prime example of this is Aphrodite and her strong affiliation to that of Venus. Both possess ethereal characteristics of love, beauty and sexuality; however, Venus had the additional domain over vegetation, fertility and was a patroness of prostitutes.
Renaissance
The Renaissance describes a time-period within Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries which followed the Middle Ages. This era saw a revival of intrigue into the classical teachings and values of ancient Rome and Greek. Against a backdrop of political stability and growing prosperity, there was the development of new technologies such as the printing press. A system of astronomy and the discovery of new continents was accompanied by a budding world of philosophy, literature and art. Styles of painting, sculpture and decorative arts identified with the Renaissance emerged in the late 14th century, originating from Italy; it reached its pinnacle in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, through the work of Italian masters including Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael. Alongside its expression of classical Greco-Roman traditions, Renaissance art sought to capture the experience of the individual and the beauty and mystery of the natural world.
Venus Background:
Sandro Botticelli’s Birth of Venus
Through time various artists have depicted the emergence of Venus from her shell however, the true origin of the story has a multitude of conflicting recounts. Sandro Botticelli’s depiction reflects a variation from ancient poet Homer’s recount of Venus’s birth. The novelty of mythological art in the 1480s was a new type of painting. The painting of the Olympian gods was a manner of deconstructing the mythological subject itself and allowed for connection between the art forms and and the mythological texts.
“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.”
While there are many similarities between the two, there never has been an exact correspondence with text and painting. The Homeric hymn above describes Venus being born from the foam of the sea following the castration of Uranus by his own son, Saturn, causing his blood and semen to flow into the sea.
Zephyros, whom resides on the left hand side of the painting, was the god of the west wind; he drove Venus to the shores of Knidos abode the shell depicted. While Horae, who were personifications of the seasons stood on the shore in white, with mantle in hand to clothe Venus.
Venus Analysis
The Birth of Venus is distinguishable as a work of Botticelli’s due to the composition and style being comparable to the Primavera, another one of his works.
Shifted off center to the right stands Venus who is isolated, with nothing overlapping her. This allows the contrast of the background to really pull out her milky skin tone; a white skin tone was especially significant to that era as it represented the upper class and was considered a symbol of beauty; this depiction enhances her splendor. Venus as a deity personifies beauty; she is free of blemishes and although half of her face is shaded she still is a very distinguished. The tilt of Venus’s head and her gentle smile aided by her empathetic expression conveyed, gives a nod to her connection with love. Botticelli’s fascination with the way women wore their hair and its reflection of innocence, is evident in this image as Venus’s hair is a representation of the late fifteenth century when women would allow their hair to grow long. In Venus’s case, her hair glistens with gold elements which are almost woven into her hair by the master painter and it is swept round her protectively by the winds of Zephyrus. Venus stands radically naked; radical because it is not in a Christian context. Up unto this point in history, the only person that would be adorned in such a manner was Eve, who was typically recognized as being the exception to the circumstance.
Venus’s sculptural contour is due to the clear influence from Greek sculptures of Aphrodite, for example the Aphrodite of Knidos, in which the goddess attempts to cover herself in a gesture of modestly. The curvature of the goddess’s supple body is made more apparent by the dark outline surrounding her form which makes her more apparent against the background; this is further emphasized through the contrasting of the milky flesh tone with the assortment of blues behind her. The combination gives Venus’s body a marbleized appearance, which connects her to the sculpture of Aphrodite.
Sculpture
The Greek revolution is how we refer to the change of Greek sculpting, from the once rigid figures of the past to more daring experiments of form nuance, movement and musculature. This radical change, which occurring in just under 200 years, meant that Greek sculpture had developed a new illusion of the living human body. While we are unsure of what spurred this radicalization, theories range from Greek democracy having a strong respect for the individual, to artist’s purely improving and developing new techniques and skills. The classicist Mary Beard has stated “In sculpture in the ancient world, as opposed to painting, where the trajectory is a bit different, male nudity was a symbol of bodily excellence and power, and this goes back to the beginning of Greek sculpture, say in the early 7th century BC.” Which would suggest that the change was more in reference to the Greeks admiration of physical strength and the male physique.
She goes on to state that the appearance of the female sculpture is still debated. It is important to note that its first and sudden appearance was in 4th century BC and the sculpture was Aphrodite of Knidos. It is important to highlight that the placement which involved hiding one’s genitalia is very typical and maybe an effort to keep the goddess’s modesty, or reflect their purity.
Sandro Botticelli used Aphrodite statues as a reference point for modelling the figure of his Birth of Venus, perhaps even the Aphrodite of Knidos. The artful placement of the hands to conceal one’s modesty is blatantly comparable to that of the ancient Greek sculpture.
The Cascada (literally translated as the waterfall), is a waterfall with a fountain that is circulated in Parc de la Ciutadella, Barcelona. Inaugurated in 1881 without sculptures, it was originally designed by Joseph Fontsère alongside his student, whom was still relatively unknown at the time Antoni Gaudi. Seven years post construction imagined some adoring features to supplement the Universal Exposition and the center piece of the elements is Venus abode a shell; this is presumed to be a direct reference to her birth. Venus in essence represents love and her abode the clam about to embark on land is considered a metaphor of love coming to earth. Love is also seen as a feminine quality, even in my own eyes, which I personally find enlightening. The idea that Venus is a strong representation of women today is another reason why I find the painting a relevant discussion topic.
Details of Renaissance Paintings (Sandro Botticelli, Birth of Venus 1482) 1984 by Andy Warhol.
Pop Art was a movement which appeared in the mid 1950’s in the UK and the late 1950’s in America.
The emergence of Pop Art can be pinpointed as art being available and targeted at the masses instead of a niche group. Pop Art worked by creating modernised images of already well known classics, allowing them to be brought into the 20th century and making them culturally relevant. This gave those pieces an opportunity to be appreciated by a broader audience spectrum, hence the term Popular Art. One man who became synonymous with Pop Art and is often referred to as one of its founders, is Andy Warhol.
Pop Art generally uses an image processed into the 2nd dimension; examples of medias which do this include photography, comic strips and advertising. This requires changing the original piece’s presentation and placing emphasis on flatness. Bob Colacello once said the following quote in response to Billy Name’s comments during the acclaimed Ric Burns documentary about Andy Warhol: “He wanted to be, you know a God. Someone who completely changed the… He wanted to be Zeus with a Lightning bolt and nothing less would have satisfied him”.
Andy Warhol’s Details of Renaissance Paintings (Sandro Botticelli, Birth of Venus 1482) 1984 is a screen print, giving the original image a mechanical effect as if it were made in a factory. At the time screen printing was a new process of reprographics. Utilising this technique Warhol styled the Birth of Venus in his own unique way bring it to the masses, allowing it to be appreciated. Warhol was fascinated by fame and stardom and who better to represent such stardom than Venus goddess of love.
Warhol infused the bright colours of stardom into Venus, creating four very different images. Bright, vibrant colours are used to their advantage making the 2D image stand out more, and the utilisation of the flat backgrounds meant that the viewer’s eyes focus on the image while still having an awareness of the contrast with the background. I believe that different people will have different impressions of the images, and will have a preference.
For example, I think that the image with the off white background is particularly effective as the background contrasts with the bright reds, oranges and yellows of Venus hair. It is done to ensure that you are looking at the significant feature of the picture and makes it a focus of your attention in every room the picture is hung. Not only is there contrast within each individual image but also in relation to each of the other 3 images.
The original art work on which this piece was based was painted in 1482. Warhol has taken this image over 500 years later and enhanced it through incorporating bright colours and creating stark contrasts. His mechanical technique of screen printing allowed for this elegant piece of original art to be accessible by a wider audience and in turn, more well known. Andy Warhol’s “Details of Renaissance” images each exist in their own right however as a he will have taken influence not only from The birth of Venus but other art pieces, including will The Cascada made 100 years previous, his work is cannot be considered separate to others surrounding Venus.
Conclusion
Through doing this essay it is my opinion that the original idea and story is more important than the execution. There are many reproductions which can follow but the original idea is essential in stimulating the cascade of art which arises from it. Andy Warhol’s ‘Details of Renaissance Paintings’ follows Sandro Botticelli, Birth of Venus, while the birth of Venus originates from Aphrodite of Knidos, who in turn is a representation of the legends and texts before that. Each of these depictions of Venus or Aphrodite vary in media, however researching into each set piece has given me a more well rounded understanding of Venus. I’ve came to the conclusion that Venus represents love itself, and is a follow on from the Greek Aphrodite, and Botticelli depiction is of love coming to the world. This informed conclusion will be used to compare her to the titan Atlas for my dissertation. When continuing my research into Greek mythology, I will maintain my use of documentaries but also want to explore more written texts surrounding the history of art and its relevance to the myths themselves.