"Birth Day"

8 x 10"

oil on panel
sold 

I completed another for my upcoming show The Ladies - featuring Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli, painted in 1485.

The painting depicts Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, arriving on the island of Cyprus - born of the sea spray and blown in by the winds (Zephyr and Aura on the upper left).  She stands on a giant scallop shell, symbolizing purity and perfection like a pearl.  The woman on the right side welcoming Venus is thought to be one of the Graces, the Hora of spring.

Botticelli's painting was most likely commissioned by the Medici family, hung in their Villa of Castello back in the 15th century.  It currently hangs in The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.

Please click here for a larger view.