Analysis Of Sandro Botticelli's The Birth Of Venus

Once hung in a Medici villa, Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus, ca. 1485, is one of the most treasured artworks of the Renaissance. The composition is opened up more, compared to Botticelli’s Primavera, a similar styled painting done a few years prior. The central figure in this tempera painting is the goddess Venus (also known as Aphrodite in Greek mythology). She graces us with her presence by floating to the shore, pushed from the winds of gods (Zephyr accompanied by Chloris), on a seashell. A flower-clad woman, or Nymph, named Pomona reaches from the shore to cover Venus with a orange-coral floral cloak. With the gods in the left corner and Pomona on the right along with the trees and their leaves reaching towards Venus, they create
The focal points in The Birth of Venus are human, but are more idealized than realistic (which differs from the strong realism found in the northern renaissance). This is because of Botticelli’s elegant linear work, giving his subjects a stylized approach. Botticelli maintains the same quality of line work throughout this painting, foreshortening a sense of depth because the main subjects are so strong. Due to Botticelli’s line work, his subject’s sense of realism is lost slightly with their form. It is important to note that all four bodies depicts are in the same size, too large comparison to the background, and all illustrate the same care in
As mentioned before, all of the bodies are the same size. If the viewer looks closely at Zephyr and his wife Chloris, the angle that her knee is positioned around Zephyr is not anatomically possible. Botticelli made all the subjects features the same size; for example, their feet are all the same size, even though the viewer knows one foot should be closer than the other. All of these little unrealistic attributes strengthen Botticelli’s mystical atmosphere, helping viewers to distinguish that they are viewing godly and idealized presences. The color scheme for The Birth of Venus veers towards cool and calming colors; Botticelli ensured that his painting conveyed a serene nautical event. The sea’s water is a murky blue green with Zephyr’s robe almost matching in color. The sea, Zephyr, and the sky blend together in color scheme; this helps to push them back and maintain Venus as the focus. The popping colors are found in the cloak for Venus and Venus’ golden hair that drapes around her body. These oranges and warm tones craft harmony in the painting and complement the cools, especially since blue and orange are commentary