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Artisitc Techniques in the Birth of Venus Essay example

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The Birth of Venus (Nascita di Venere) is a painting done by Florentine artist Sandro Botticelli in 1486. The painting depicts the moment the goddess Venus first emerges from the waters of the sea and prepares to step onto the shore. Through linear techinques and artistic symbolism, the painting not only depicts the story and narrative of the goddess Venus’s birth but also seeks to exhibit the many different types of love and adoration which surround the creation of life. The painting was a commissioned work for the Medici Family of Florence, a powerful political and financial family which would later go on to become an influential royal house for centuries. Throughout the painting, there is evidence of movement and a prevailing sense you …show more content…

This suggests that she is alive and moving with life and purpose.
Her naked form is a very rare element in the picture. During this time period, nudity was strictly reserved to convey the idea of pure innocense or virginal qualities. Yet, Botticelli uses the nudity to symbolize innocence and the untouched skin. Her form is soft and womanly and the seashell that she rides on also reflects the thought that she is unblemished and untouched, much like a pearl. Her hair is speckled with fine gold and is flowing naturally. It also serves to naturally cover her naked body and suggest an innocent and almost Eve like quality. This also is a deliberate attempt at recreating art from earlier Greek works which embraced the natural beauty of the body, especially amongst the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece.
The fixation is set on her in the center of the painting due to the triangle of light used to create a focal point for the viewer. Surrounding her on both sides are the linear equivelants of past and future. From the left we see her creators helping her along with strength and the force of the wind. To the right we see her handmaiden ready to usher her into the world, where she will be clothed and no longer represent innocence. Both exhibit two very different forms of love and caring to Venus. The two male and female figures linked and joined represent the wind gods from

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