Artisitc Techniques in the Birth of Venus

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 are watching a narrative of creation unfolding. From the falling roses (the symbol of Venus) to the style of waves painted in the sea and the posture of Venus herself, all of these combine to form a rich mythical story.

Most Renaissance period pieces are very natural and realistic in their execution of subjects and characters. As seen in this piece however, all of the characters take on a mythical and unnatural element in their design and implementation. The characters have an unearthreal sense of floating and gracefulness that is not found in mainstream Renaissance art. One would expect to find bodies and subjects with weight and balance and a realistic position on the ground, yet no character in the entire work exhibits this feature. Instead, Botticelli has isolated the three subjects along very distinct linear lines which create a sense that what you are witnessing is dreamlike or celestial.

The central figure in the work is that of Venus, the Roman goddess of love and passion. She st...

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... a way that it flows from one side to the other in a parallel plane to signify a gradual movement. It takes Venus through the process of birth on the left side to earth on the right, where she is to represent a new kind of love. Botticelli uses soft colors and lines to represent the softness and innocence of Venus and the growth of love itself. Every aspect of the painting flows together in the same direction by the use of parallel lines towards the shore where Venus is to arrive.

The Birth of Venus extols, from each and every aspect, the events surrounding the creation of life. Each figure is a representation of the many parts of love that come together to form the rich style of the Venus narrative. The cycle of life being created, nurtured, moving and growing is seen throughout the entire piece. Only through cooperation, passion and love can life begin and grow.