The Birth of Venus
Sandro Botticelli, c. 1484–1486
About the Artwork
The Birth of Venus is a masterpiece of the Early Renaissance, painted by Sandro Botticelli between 1484 and 1486. It is one of the most famous paintings in the world and a symbol of the Italian Renaissance.
The painting depicts the goddess Venus arriving at the shore after her birth, where she is blown to land by the wind gods Zephyr and Aura, and met by a nymph who is about to cover her with a cloak adorned with flowers. The composition is elegant and ethereal, characteristic of Botticelli's distinctive style.
Currently housed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, the painting is celebrated for its harmonious lines, delicate figures, and mythological subject matter, which reflects the Neoplatonic ideals prevalent in Medici Florence.