“Mother of Rome, delight of gods and men, dear Venus that beneath the gliding stars makest to teem the many-voyaged main and fruitful lands- for all of living things.. Before thee, Goddess, and thy coming on, flee stormy wind and massy cloud away, for thee waters of the unvexed deep smile, and the hollows of the serene sky glow with diffused radiance for thee”
~ Lucretius
'Venus', one of my latest paintings is of the Venus de' Medici marble sculpture depicting the Greek goddess of love Aphrodite. This painting has been a work in progress for many months, perfecting each detail of the marble using Oils. The use of Oils here is my special touch to create the depth in the glow of the background. The background composition is one of my signature style, classical and yet bold, using red with extra depth to compliment the sculpture's portrait. The use of red in this portrait references to the roses particularly associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love, also symbolised in 'An Allegory with Venus and Time' by Domenico Piola. In this allegory, Time, with his hourglass, presents Venus, the goddess of love, with a mature rose, as if to remind her that earthly love is as fleeting as a rose’s bloom. In response, Venus reveals her higher identity as a symbol of enduring spiritual love and divine beauty.
Venus de' Medici became one of the navigation points by which the progress of the Western classical tradition is traced, the references to it outline the changes of taste and the process of classical scholarship, and so in turn plays an integral part in my own passion for classical sculpture painting. This original painting 'Venus' is available to purchase on my website here and prints are also available to order.