Sandro Botticelli was an Italian painter who was very successful at the peak of his career. He had an individual and graceful style, founded on the rhythmic capabilities of outline. He created his own, instantly recognisable, type of feminine beauty. Many of Botticelli's paintings are undated and unsigned. .
No one really knows much about Botticellis early years, but he was known to have trained in the studio of Filippo Lippi. In 1481 Botticelli was asked to join Perugino, Ghirlandaio and Rosselli to paint frescoes for the Sistine chapel. Botticelli's two most famous paintings were painted around this time. They are the "Primavera" and "The Birth of Venus".
"The Birth of Venus" was created by using tempera on canvas in 1842. Created in a romantic, mythical and representational style, this artwork depicts the figure Venus, rising from the sea. The action of the painting is easily understood. Venus has surfaced from the sea on a shell, which is being taken to shore by flying wind-gods amidst a shower of roses. As she is about to step onto the shore, nymphs welcome her with a purple cloak. Venus is the centre of interest; she's in the middle of the painting and is bordered by the wind-gods and nymph. .
"The Birth of Venus" has been painted using tempera. Egg tempera paints were popular until the late fifteenth century. Although hard to use, they dried quickly to an almost impenetrable surface. The addition of oil to tempera paints brought about the eventual development of oil painting. "The Birth of Venus" has been painted with care and precision, it is so detailed that you can imagine that he worked almost reverently to represent the myth in a worthy manner. .
Botticelli has created balance in this artwork through placement of subject matter. Unity within this artwork was created by the design elements forming part of a sequence. The wind runs through the roses, into Venus" hair and through the cloak.
