ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

--- CONTENT ---
The Birth of Venus (Naissance de Vénus) is the name of several paintings by Alexandre Cabanel, the original of which was created in 1863 and the most famous copy by the artist himself in 1875. The original was the work that finally consolidated the painter’s glory. The picture shows the birth of the goddess Venus, who was born from the foam off the island of Cyprus according to a variant in Greek mythology.

The birth of Venus shows a female act. The woman lies outstretched with her head to the right on the water, the upper body and the head seem to rest on a foam carpet. Contrary to all natural laws, the body seems to float above the water and does not sink into the water. The lower left leg is light, the upper right leg is slightly more attracted to the body and in this posture covers the pubic area. While the abdomen is reproduced frontally to the observer, the upper body falls slightly more rearwards, which raises the chest area and emphasizes it in a special way. This also supports the posture of the arms; Both arms are extended beyond the head. While the left arm, like the left leg, is mounted on the water and extended further, the right arm is raised and bent so that the forearm is mounted on the head. The woman has closed her eyes and seems to be asleep. She lies on her hair, which reaches to the knees, but also above the left arm. While the act of women radiates a great calm, even peace, five also unclothed, with small wings turkeys fly over it. The two leftists blow into their shells, the two rightists hover over the woman. The middle putto has turned away from the naked but turns its head in their direction.

Cabanels The birth of Venus was recorded sensationally at the Paris Salon of 1863, it was also called the Venus Salon after the picture and other representations of Venus. Napoleon III. acquired the 130 cm × 225 cm large oil painting made on canvas for his private collection. Cabanel himself made several copies of it. The most famous was commissioned by the US banker John Wolfe. With a size of 106 cm × 182.6 cm, it is slightly smaller than the original, but otherwise corresponds to the original almost in detail. The original is now in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the copy since 1893 as Wolfe’s gift at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City (inventory number 94.24.1); Signature at bottom left: ALEX CABANEL. The picture met the taste that prevailed in France during the Second Empire: a mythological motif, carefully modeled, with a smoothly polished surface. Nevertheless, it was not spared criticism. Émile Zola described Venus as “a lovely doll [... made of] white and pink almond paste [...drinking] in a river of milk.” More modern works were created despite similar Bild-Suj