Venus Botticelli Venus Analysis

Whether in sculpture or in painting, Venus finds her way into countless works of art. The goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, the nude Venus is a common motif that may represent a number of ideas: chastity, the sin of sexuality, or Neo-Platonic interpretations of love. Botticelli is no stranger to the use of Venus in art; three of his paintings – Birth of Venus, Primavera, and Venus and Mars – depict Venus as the central figure. However, very little is known about the backgrounds of these paintings; their patron, provenance, and purpose largely remain a mystery, leaving questions about how Botticelli views Venus and how he intended his audience to view Venus. As a widely discussed figure in art, Venus is sometimes used to repress or shame female sexuality, and she therefore serves as a warning to women. Yet Venus can also be used to empower women, and that seems to be the case with Botticelli’s Venus and Mars. In Venus and Mars, Botticelli reverses the accepted roles of men and women, placing the power with Venus instead of Mars. Because little is known about the background of Venus and Mars, it is helpful to explore Botticelli’s history. Born Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, Botticelli soon grew restless with his learning, so his father placed Botticelli in an apprenticeship with a goldsmith. There, he had close contact with painters, soon realizing that painting was his true calling, and he became a pupil of Fra Fillippo of Carmine. His early works were church paintings, and he began to gain credit through his religious paintings and works for private houses. His most notable patrons were the Medici family, although Pope Sixtus IV significantly charged Botticelli with painting the chapel of his palace in Rome. After his return to Florence, Botticelli’s situation began to decline. He had no money, and his popularity was quickly diminishing. In fact, from the time of Botticelli’s death until the late 19th century, he was largely neglected by art historians and the public, who instead favored artists like Raphael and Michelangelo whose careers were flourishing at the time of Botticelli’s death. Incorrectly identified artwork, undiscovered pieces, and negative sentiment toward the Medici contributed to Botticelli’s disregard. When considering Botticelli’s intended depictions of his Venuses, especially Venus and Mars, a few facts about his life and style must be considered. The first is that Botticelli was never married. In fact, Botticelli even said that the idea of marriage terrified him and gave him nightmares. Considering that Venus is the goddess of love and marriage, Botticelli’s own views on marriage no doubt influenced the way he would perceive Venus. In terms of style, Botticelli employed a mix of antico and nuovo techniques – that is, he combined elements of the Classical style with attributes from his own time period. The influence of the Classical style can be seen in his three Venus paintings; with Venus and Mars, he implements Plato’s methods of aesthetic proportions by splitting the painting into three sections in the vertical and horizontal directions and creating symmetry with the …show more content…
He may have even left the identity of the figures unknown so as to add to the multilevel interpretations available. Botticelli’s true intentions are nearly impossible to know for sure, however, due to the passage of time, the painting’s unknown provenance, and the current location of the painting. All three of Botticelli’s Venus paintings original locations are unknown, resulting in unknown context. They have all been suggested as wedding paintings, and the material, medium, and size of Venus and Mars support this claim for that particular painting. A likely purpose for the painting would have been as a spalliera placed above a cassone (i.e. a wall panel placed at shoulder height above a wedding chest) in a wedding chamber, possibly commissioned by the Medici in Florence. Such a painting would be erotic in nature, representing the consummation of the marriage and serving as inspiration for the virgin bride. In this case, Venus simultaneously represents empowerment and subservience. On the one hand, she encourages the female to take charge of her sexuality and embrace it; on the other hand, this empowerment is only meant to exist in the context of the marriage bed, where its purpose is procreation. Thus in this way the female’s body and its sexuality are reduced to providers of