Venus of Urbino
Titan. c. 1538 C.E. Florence, Italy. Oil on canvas
Thanks to the wise use of color and its contrasts, as well as the subtle meanings and allusions, Titian achieves the goal of representing the perfect Renaissance woman who, just like Venus, becomes the symbol of love, beauty and fertility.
Form:
Oil on canvas
Layered oil paints to depict the variety of lighting in the painting
Lots of different rich colors to create a sense of contrast
Completed in 1538
Function:
The Duke Urbino Guidobaldo II Della Rovere wanted a gift for his new wife and therefore commissioned Titian to paint this
The painting also reflected how a wife should be to the husband in a household as a sexual, respectful individual
She also was depicted as a motherly figure for her future children
This painting was made to be looked at by many people so Titian made the painting as beautiful as possible
Content:
A majority of the painting is taken up by a nude female who is known as a Venus
She was named a Venus so that it would be more appropriate to paint her nude
The woman has a direct gaze that meets the eyes of the viewer
This draws people into the painting
Makes someone want to focus on her and not the rest of the painting
Background is equal in color with a darker backdrop on the left and a woman and a child lighter background on the right
The body of the Venus is very different than a real body as the torso of Venus is very large while her feet are very small and unreal
This Venus was a symbol of beauty during the time and that is why she is usually depicted nude
The dog in the background represents fidelity while the child and maid represents motherhood
Uses a wide variety of colors that really emphasizes the importance of colors and lighting
The painting is very different in style as the lines as the Venus has curves and the rest of the painting is straight lines
Incorporates the Roman time period by using a column and a window that is not using glass and shows that the artist is trying to revert to a style of art that emphasized human beauty
The small tree in the background that looks perfect and ready to grow to represent the future of the marriage
Since the painting has the woman titled Venus it makes the viewer feel more comfortable seeing a nude depiction of a woman
Context:
This is an example of perfect Venetian art:
The movement of art in Venice was shown with its deep rich colors and use of shadows and use of lights
Glazing techniques were used to create subtle changes in gradient and level
Lots of different colors were available in Venice due to the amount of trade so lots of paintings could be made with a variety of colors
This took place during the 15th century to the end of the 16th century
Venice during this time period was a stable republican government that allowed lots of trade and had the ability to invest in artists
Venice was able to invest in the artwork because of the trading style of the city which generated wealth for the city
Cross-Cultural Connections:
The use of Venus in different European artworks is used by these artists:
Velasquez
Goya
Manet
Reni
Madonna and Child
The David Michelangelo
This work was created during the Protestant Reformation (1517-1648)
 |  |  |
