The Birth of Venus (French: La Naissance de Vénus) is one of the most famous paintings by 19th-century painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau. It depicts not the actual birth of Venus from the sea, but her transportation in a shell as a fully mature woman from the sea to Paphos in Cyprus. She is considered the epitome of the Classical Greek and Roman ideal of the female form and beauty, on par with Venus de Milo.
The painting was created for the Paris Salon of 1879. It was awarded the Grand Prix de Rome, and was purchased by the state for the Musée du Luxembourg. The painting is now in the permanent collection of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.
Not to be confused with the Botticelli, Cabanel and Steinbrück paintings of the same name.
The Birth of Venus provides examples of:
- Angelic Beauty: Venus is a beautiful woman as usual, but she is given an unusual air of purity and divinity thanks to being surrounded by a choir of winged children and minor deities at her birth.
- The Burlesque of Venus: While the position is way more relaxed, Venus is still standing on a (smaller) seashell in a Contrapposto Pose and has minor deities surrounding her — although, in this case, it's Psyche and unidentified putti, nymphs, and centaurs. Moreover, they aren't blowing her to the shore but worshipping her. Venus herself is displaying her body rather than trying to cover it.
- Chariot Pulled by Cats: Venus' seashell is being pulled toward the shore by a black dolphin. It seems strong enough to carry Psyche and Cupid on it, too.
- Cherubic Choir: Implied. Fifteen putti, including Cupid And Psyche, have been counted in the foreground and the background of the painting. All of their poses suggest they are singing because a goddess has been born.
- Contrapposto Pose: Venus is shifting most of her weight on her left leg as a result of fixing her long mane of hair. It's also to display her femininity. Unlike its predecessor, she is more relaxed and casual.
- Hand-or-Object Underwear: Conspicuous by its absence. While Botticelli had Venus using whatever she had on hand to cover herself, this Venus seems comfortable in the nude and is posed with her body on full display.
- Love Goddess: The painting's central figure is the Roman goddess of love. The piece makes this evident by showing the nymphs and centaurs around her in sheer shock and adoration at the sight of such a beautiful woman. As if they've fallen in love with her. Or with each other because of her presence.
- Our Centaurs Are Different: Taking after Classical Mythology, these ones have the body of a horse and the torso of a man. They are also able to keep themselves afloat in the middle of the ocean with no trouble. Finally, they know how to play conch shells to accompany the Cherubic Choir.
- Our Nymphs Are Different: Also inspired by Grecorroman imagery, the three nymphs illustrated are Nereids/Oceanids. Nymphs whose domain is the ocean and, as a result, can effortlessly swim long distances. They appear here to attend Venus' birth.
- Putto: Strangely, little baby cupid and a host of other child-like angels appear despite the painting depicting the birth of their mother, Venus.
- Protagonist Title: The painting is named after Love Goddess Venus, who is being transported to the shore after her birth.
- Water Is Womanly: Like its famous predecessor, the painting depicts the goddess of love emerging from the sea alongside sea nymphs.
- The X of Y: The title is fashioned this way.
