Botticelli's The Birth of Venus

What happened

Between about 1480 and 1484, Sandro Botticelli (1445–1510) painted The Birth of Venus, showing the goddess arriving on the shore, newly born from the sea. Likely commissioned by the Medici, Florence's ruling banking dynasty, it took its subject from classical mythology rather than religion — a striking departure for a painter known mostly for altarpieces.

Why it matters

A defining image of the Florentine Renaissance, it embodied the humanist embrace of classical antiquity and the return of the mythological nude to Western art. It now hangs in the Uffizi in Florence.

Sources

• World History Encyclopedia. Sandro Botticelli · Reputable source