The Birth of Venus by Botticelli: The Myths Behind the Goddess on a Shell (c. 1484-86)
A naked goddess rises from the sea on a scallop shell. On the left, two winds blow her towards the shore in a shower of pink roses; on the right, a young woman in a flowered dress hurries forward with a cloak to cover her. Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus is one of the most recognisable images ever painted, reproduced on everything from banknotes to fashion. Yet much of what is usually said about it, from the model who supposedly posed for Venus to the idea that it shocked Florence, is myth rather than history. Sandro Botticelli, The Birth of Venus , c. 1484–86. Tempera on canvas, 172.5 × 278.5 cm. Gallerie degli Uffizi, Florence. Public Domain artwork. Fine-art print available from the Sapiens Verbum print shop. 🖼️ Get this painting as a print → Quick facts Artist: Sandro Botticelli (c. 1445–1510), Florentine painter Title: The Birth of Venus ( Nascita di Venere ) Date: c. 1484–86 Medium: Tempera on canvas, 172...