Facts about The Birth of Venus by Botticelli

1. 05

   At roughly 172 by 278 centimeters, The Birth of Venus by Botticelli is a large-scale work that helped establish mythological subject matter as legitimate fine art in Renaissance Florence.

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2. 04

   Commissioned likely by the Medici family, The Birth of Venus by Botticelli depicts the west wind Zephyr blowing the goddess toward shore while a Hora prepares to dress her.

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3. 03

   Botticelli modeled the central figure in The Birth of Venus partly on classical sculptures of the Venus Pudica pose, with the goddess covering her nudity in a similar gesture.

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4. 02

   Housed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, The Birth of Venus by Botticelli is painted on canvas rather than the wood panel typical of the period.

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5. 01

   Painted by Sandro Botticelli in the 1480s, The Birth of Venus depicts the goddess emerging from the sea as a fully grown adult, based on ancient mythological tradition.

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