Venus is the roman goddess of love, sexuality and
fertility, being the human embodiment of these things.
She has been painted a lot and here I have
looked at two paintings of her, by Titian and Manet. This is Venus of Urbino, a
painting by Titian from the 1500s.
She is inside, a change from her usual
depictions (she was born from sea foam so she is often in the sea), and she is
looking directly at the viewer, engaging with them. As well as this, the
painting is erotic, her body language being inviting and relaxed. However, the
dog in the background is a symbol of fidelity, and her hand is delicately
hiding her vulva as her servants search for clothes in the background.
In the Manet painting, which is inspired by Venus of Urbino,
she is depicted as a French prostitute, wearing high heeled shoes, an orchid in
her hair, a bracelet, pearl earrings, and other things. This also has some
marked differences in that the animal depicted is a cat, another indicator of
prostitution, and her hand is firmly placed over her vulva, as she looks away
from a bouquet of flowers, likely a gift from a client. This painting is also
very sloppy and lacks midtones, which was shocking at the time, as it depicts a
harsh and sickly goddess, rather than a beautiful fantasy.
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