Venus blog

The two Venus paintings I have selected for comment and comparison are “The Birth of Venus” (BV) by Sandro Botticelli (b. 1445 – d.1510)



and the “Venus of Urbino” (VU) painted by Titian (b. 1490 – d. 1576).

                                     

Both paintings can be found in the Uffizi gallery in Florence where I have been and I have a vivid memory of BV but no memory at all of VU. I imagine a large reason for this was the size of the BV – 172.5cm by 278.9cm, and I think the position within the gallery – I seem to remember being hit with the painting near the beginning of the gallery tour (this is about 30 years ago so my memory is entitled to be hazy). VU is much smaller at 119 by 165 cms.

BV is tempura on canvas whereas VU is an oil painting.

Both paintings were painted by Italian artists within the period of time known as the Italian Renaissance which peaked during the 15th and 16th centuries. BV was painted in the mid 1480’s. UV was painted in the 1530’s. The name means rebirth and defines the period as one of cultural revival and renewed interest in classical antiquity after the Dark Ages. Mythological subjects were fashionable in the Renaissance and paintings of naked men and women started appearing after centuries of Medieval prudishness.

The composition of BV shows the goddess of love (who was also known to be very beautiful) arriving on probably Cyprus. According to Hesiod (a very early Greek poet) Venus was born out of sea foam after the water had been fertilised by the castrated genitals of the god Uranus. Venus is unusual as she gets born fully grown. If people are unclear she is a goddess there are other elements within the painting which help – e.g. the people flying beside her. She is standing which may have drawn on classical statues which were coming to light especially in Rome – Botticelli had spent time there in 1481-2 working on the walls of the Sistine Chapel.

Although BV is standing, in real life she would likely fall over as her weight is distributed too far to one side. Her body is also “anatomically improbable”. Her neck is too long, her arm flows down her body with her hair. The picture does not depict realism.

UV is also known as the Reclining Venus and it depicts a young nude woman reclining on a couch in the grand surroundings of a Renaissance palace. The pose is based on the Dresden Venus by Giorgione (although likely finished by Titian after his death in 1510). There Venus is reclining naked outside. In VU she is reclining inside and looking straight at the viewer. Unlike BV it is not so obvious to the typical viewer than she is a goddess, however apparently the flowers in her hand and the myrtle on the windowsill are giveaways.

Botticelli was not a very naturalistic painter. He didn’t paint in shadows in BV which led to a lack of weight and substance in his figures and he rarely used deep perspective space. He didn’t paint landscape backgrounds with a lot of detail or realism. This may have helped his paintings look more ethereal. Whereas Titian in VU has painted Venus more realistically and you can see her solidity.  He has also painted a detailed background with clear perspective, the smaller figures and the room’s lines indicate the depth of the room. This reality detracts from it being a mythological scene.

Regarding BV, most art historians agree the meaning of the painting is fairly straightforward – a traditional scene from Greek mythology. It is probable that the painting was commissioned by one of the Medici family (the most important and powerful family in the area at that time). This idea is supported by orange trees in the painting which was considered an emblem of the dynasty. It was suggested that the painting was hung in the commissioner’s bedroom. Venus is the goddess of love and one of the meanings of the painting is to suggest how a bride might behave on her wedding night. Her pose is typical from statues from classical antiquity, modestly covering her breasts and her groin. This would be seem to be appropriate for a virginal new bride.

The purpose of VU is less certain. Some say it was to celebrate a courtesan, and others say to celebrate the marriage of the first owner. The maids rummaging through the chest indicate marriage, the dog indicates fidelity. The nude in this painting is very comfortable with her nudity, her looking directly at the viewer seems to challenge them to admit she is beautiful and erotic. If this painting was a gift from a husband to a new wife on their wedding night to remind or educate the wife of her marital duties, it would be frankly terrifying for the girl! VU is described as a symbol of love, beauty and fertility however I think it is also a symbol of lust and men’s desire. I am sure the new wife would have rather had something more obviously for her as her marriage gift.

Botticelli’s reputation suffered posthumously – he had to compete with artists such as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci in Florence. However his work’s reputation revived in the late 19th century. Titian was considered the most important member of the 16thc Venetian School and his work maintained its status. I would suggest that is because Titian’s skill was significantly superior to Botticelli as these two Venus paintings demonstrate.

Websites used

Wikipedia

Le Gallerie degli Uffizi

Love from Tuscany

Visit Uffizi.org


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