Zoe Dawson - Visual Art
The
image
of
the
Goddess,
lying
exposed
in
the
waves
is,
to
me,
a
beautiful
vignette
of
her
‘birth.’
Capturing
the
ideal
of
beauty,
however,
is
more
than
simply
painting
a
beautiful
painting,
or
capturing
a
beautiful
woman.
The
colour
chosen
for
the
painting
is
a
formal
element
that
is
key
to
capturing
beauty,
and
portraying
the
pure,
perfect
Goddess
of
love.
The
light,
cool
colour
used
in
The
Birth
of
Venus
introduces
the
air
of
peace
and
serenity
that
surrounds
the
goddess,
amplifying
her
equable
demeanor
and
alluding
to
the
enlightenment
of
rest
and
enjoyment.
Cabanel
intended
to
show
the
viewer,
through
the
painting’s
lightest
hues,
how
relaxation
purifies
Venus,
as
though
she
has
been
in
a
long
sleep
and
is
awakening
well
rested
and
beautiful.
The
pale
colours
and
use
of
whites
and
peachy
pinks
suggest
virginity,
and
the
purity
that
was
identified
with
beauty
at
the
time.
In
1863,
having
pale
skin
was
associated
with
the
aristocracy,
as
poor
people
that
worked
outside
in
the
sun
were
the
only
ones
with
tanned
skin.
This
explains
why
Venus
is
portrayed
with
pale
white
skin,
as
though
her
skin
had
never
seen
the
sun.
The
deep
red
of
Venus’
hair
is
used
to
symbolize
lust
and
passion,
as
redheaded
women
are
believed
to
be
more
libidinous
than
those
with
more
subdued
hair
colours.
[5] This
use
of
bold
red,
orange
and
gold
hues
highlights
that
Cabanel
associated
the
Goddess
of
love
with
not
only
romantic
love,
but
also
a
passionate,
lustful
one.
This
alludes
to
the
idea
that
Cabanel
was
using
mythological
trappings
to
hide
the
blatant
eroticism
of
the
reclining
nude.
This
was
a
popular
opinion
amongst
critics
at
the
time.
One
critic
stated,
“The
painter’s
attitude
is
of
inconceivable
vulgarity.”
[6]
There
were,
nonetheless,
critics
who
supported
Cabanel,
and
saw
in
his
painting
the
ideal
beauty
that
he
was
trying
to
convey.
Critic
Claude
Vignon
said
that
the
nude
was
“ideal
beauty
embodied
in
a
woman”
[7]
,
while
the
Revue
Des
Races
Latines
(a
journal
that
critiqued
the
salon)
9
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