The birth of venus
| Support Type: | Canvas |
| Paint Type: | Oil Paint |
| Current Location: | Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France |
| Location History: | Bouguereau completed The Birth of Venus in 1879, during the mature period of his career. The painting was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1879, held at the Palais des Champs-Élysées, where it was listed as No. 376. The French state acquired the painting directly from Bouguereau in 1879, and it was initially intended for the Musée du Luxembourg. It was also formally attributed to the Musée du Louvre that year. From 1879 to 1920, it remained at the Musée du Luxembourg in Paris. In 1920, it was temporarily placed in the State Depository before being transferred to the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes, where it remained from 1920 to 1979. In 1979, exactly a century after its creation, the painting was assigned to the newly established Musée d’Orsay, where it remains today. |
Venus' Birth portrays the mythological birth of Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty, who was said to have risen from the sea. Bouguereau, however, doesn't portray the birth of Venus, but instead her being delivered to land on the back of a giant shell. At the centre of the composition, Venus appears nude on the enormous shell, as she is being sailed to land by a multitude of mythological beings. Surrounding her are putti, nymphs, tritons and other shipwrecked mythological ocean dwellers. Venus is the main subject of the painting. Her light-colored body is set off by the blue-grey sea and sky and the figures around her seem to circle her. Two figures haul the shell out of the water, and other figures swim, drift, and fly around it. High above the goddess Venus, a group of winged figures and putti seem to be welcoming her by playing a small musical instrument. Whilst Bouguereau introduces a dream-like quality in this scene. The sea extends into the background, the soft clouds and pastel colours of the sky make the figures almost weightless. Although there are many figures in the painting, Venus is set apart, being the central focus and with her relaxed pose. This is a typical example of the highly refined academic style of Bouguereau, where mythological themes, perfect bodies and superb technical skill all combine.