Venus and Aphrodite in Mythology
The Romans adopted the Greek goddess as their own and created most interesting narratives. I will discuss its relevance to art.
Chronologically, Aphrodite predates Venus; however, their names appear to be used interchangeably.
Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty. Her image of "idealized perfection" was seen on pottery and as small votive statues.
From the Classical period we find the statue "Aphrodite of Knidos" (360 BCE) by Praxiteles, establishing the image of an unclothed female figure as a significant subject in Western art.
The most iconic image of Aphrodite is from the Hellenistic period, "Aphrodite of Melos" AKA "Venus de Milo" (130-100 BCE). It is a wonder to behold, from the Louvre, Paris.
An interesting fact: during WWII the Venus de Milo was replaced with a plaster cast in the Louvre, unbeknownst to the Germans.
The "Venus de Milo" inspired the artists Rodin, Cezanne, Dali, and Magritte.
Rodin wrote, "You are not a vain sterile statue."
Dali said, "Ready for action, you breathe, you are a woman, and that is your glory."
Delacroix may have used this statue as a model for his painting "Liberty Leads the People" (1830).
In Virgil's Latin epic poem "Aeneid" (published 19BC), he mentions "Acidalia" which was the name given to Venus after washing in the same fountain as the Three Graces in Boeotia.
"Venus the Mother" was the goddess of motherhood and domesticity had a son Cupid with Mercury, the winged messenger of the gods, and married Vulcan, the god of fire.
Roman emperor Julius Caesar dedicated the "Temple of Venus Benetrix" (46 BC) in the Forum Rome, Italy.
Apelles of Kos (370-306 BC) was a renowned artist from ancient Greece. One of his paintings was of the birth of Aphrodite, rising from the seafoam in a scallop shell. Sound familiar?
Italian Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" (1485) is based on the same mythological scene, Venus Anadyomene (Venus rising from the sea). It can be seen at the Uffizi, Florence, Italy.
Botticelli also painted "Venus and Mars" (1483) as an allegory with the goddess of love and the god of war. It can be seen at the National Gallery, London.
The Roman goddess Venus had encounters with both gods and mortals. Her relationship with Adonis, a mere mortal, is immortalized by Venetian Renaissance artist Titian, in his painting "Venus and Adonis" (1550s). One version can be seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Today, on 6th Avenue at W53rd Street, New York, you will encounter two (2) headless Venuses made of bronze, by American artist Jim Dine. It is a startling find!
Chronologically, Aphrodite predates Venus; however, their names appear to be used interchangeably.
Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty. Her image of "idealized perfection" was seen on pottery and as small votive statues.
From the Classical period we find the statue "Aphrodite of Knidos" (360 BCE) by Praxiteles, establishing the image of an unclothed female figure as a significant subject in Western art.
The most iconic image of Aphrodite is from the Hellenistic period, "Aphrodite of Melos" AKA "Venus de Milo" (130-100 BCE). It is a wonder to behold, from the Louvre, Paris.
An interesting fact: during WWII the Venus de Milo was replaced with a plaster cast in the Louvre, unbeknownst to the Germans.
The "Venus de Milo" inspired the artists Rodin, Cezanne, Dali, and Magritte.
Rodin wrote, "You are not a vain sterile statue."
Dali said, "Ready for action, you breathe, you are a woman, and that is your glory."
Delacroix may have used this statue as a model for his painting "Liberty Leads the People" (1830).
In Virgil's Latin epic poem "Aeneid" (published 19BC), he mentions "Acidalia" which was the name given to Venus after washing in the same fountain as the Three Graces in Boeotia.
"Venus the Mother" was the goddess of motherhood and domesticity had a son Cupid with Mercury, the winged messenger of the gods, and married Vulcan, the god of fire.
Roman emperor Julius Caesar dedicated the "Temple of Venus Benetrix" (46 BC) in the Forum Rome, Italy.
Apelles of Kos (370-306 BC) was a renowned artist from ancient Greece. One of his paintings was of the birth of Aphrodite, rising from the seafoam in a scallop shell. Sound familiar?
Italian Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" (1485) is based on the same mythological scene, Venus Anadyomene (Venus rising from the sea). It can be seen at the Uffizi, Florence, Italy.
Botticelli also painted "Venus and Mars" (1483) as an allegory with the goddess of love and the god of war. It can be seen at the National Gallery, London.
The Roman goddess Venus had encounters with both gods and mortals. Her relationship with Adonis, a mere mortal, is immortalized by Venetian Renaissance artist Titian, in his painting "Venus and Adonis" (1550s). One version can be seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Today, on 6th Avenue at W53rd Street, New York, you will encounter two (2) headless Venuses made of bronze, by American artist Jim Dine. It is a startling find!
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