Zoe Dawson - Visual Art
Conclusion
The
Cabanel
and
the
Botticelli
depictions
of
the
Birth
of
Venus
are
not
only
very
different
in
appearance,
but
also
in
intention,
creation
and
reception.
Cabanel
used
his
manipulation
of
the
formal
elements
of
painting
as
a
tool
to
capture
attention
at
the
Paris
Salon.
Cautiously
choosing
the
colour,
composition
and
materials
and
technique
allowed
Cabanel
to
impress
his
audience,
intending
to
attract
both
critical
and
public
success.
While
the
critics
view
on
his
piece
were
mixed,
the
fame
and
success
of
the
painting
show
us
that
not
only
did
his
careful
manipulation
of
the
formal
elements
catch
the
attention
of
the
Paris
Salon
in
1863,
they
also
turned
the
painting
into
a
critical
piece
of
the
art
of
the
19 th
century.
Botticelli,
400
years
previously,
had
very
different
uses
for
his
manipulation
of
the
formal
elements
of
painting.
His
employment
of
the
pictorial
space,
the
scale,
and
the
light
and
tone
in
the
painting
allowed
him
to
please
his
patron,
in
multiple
different
ways.
The
narrative
given
to
him
by
the
patron
was
faithfully
depicted
in
the
painting,
with
the
pictorial
space
allowing
him
to
portray
the
characters
with
clarity.
The
imagery
of
Venus,
and
her
birth
signifying
beauty
as
a
link
between
us
and
the
Christian
divine,
allowed
a
Christian
interpretation
of
the
myth,
although
the
light
and
tone
do
not
appear
explicitly
to
blame
for
this
interpretation.
The
Medici,
presumably
for
a
country
home,
commissioned
the
painting
and
the
scale
of
the
piece
was
ideal
for
this
use.
Therefore,
we
can
assume
that
he
succeeded
in
the
aims
I
investigated,
with
the
help
of
his
manipulation
of
the
formal
elements.
References
19
97