Visual Analysis: Botticelli's Birth of Venus - Assignment Example

Visual Analysis Paper Question For the visual analysis of features and shapes of artistry portraits, the image shown below was selected for study. A quick look at this artwork arouses a feeling of appeal and appreciation for a great work of art. Unlike many artworks whose frames are rectangular, this piece has a circular frame. Though the frame seems confined, it accommodates numerous features (Jordanova, 25). These features include children, men, women, structures, landscapes, rivers, praying monks, and the skies. The different shades of colors used create a disparity between these features. Both light and dark colors are used interchangeably to give the varied features their shapes and forms. Perhaps, the artist who painted this piece adopted a circular frame to remove blank spaces. Contrary, in many rectangular frames, the corners are often left blank. At first view, this normally appears as incompleteness. Quite admirable is the manner this artwork is dimensioned in terms of perception. The varied shadings of features generate a sense of direction and distance from the viewer. Slight shadings on background features depict their farness from viewers. Similarly, bold colorations in the front pictures portray their closeness to viewers. Men, women and small girls’ clothing visible at the front of this portrait are in bold shades of red, blue and orange. All their faces are marked out by light pink colors while their hair strands are bold (Jordanova, 25). This transformation of colors helps to distinguish between people’s faces, their clothing and their sex. Men have brown faces with short hair strands compared to pink faces of women and children. Pillars are portrayed in shades of grey, which represents a commonly used color for buildings. This grey color also differentiates the pillars from the people. Furthermore, pillars appear tall to fill the void in the blue sky at the background. Admirably, this piece of art has a background that accommodates much topography despite the frame size. Hills, streams, rocky cliffs, vegetation, blue skies, white clouds, building and meditating monks are visible from afar. Hills in the background are represented in light blue shades that appear to merge with the blue sky. White patches of clouds appear to scatter on the blue sky (Jordanova, 25). Hills and clouds fill the emptiness of the top side of the frame. The boldness of rocky cliffs is exhibited in a deeper brown color. These cliffs tower through the sky and fill the emptiness on the top right corner of the frame. The monks are painted in uniform grey and appear to be scattered at the foot of the cliff as well as at the top of it. Vegetation is not clearly visible, and it is rather problematic to seclude them in making visual analysis. However, the front portion of the frame shows parts of vegetation near women and children’s feet. Features in this frame are evenly balanced with different colors. Every feature is significantly represented. Almost all features are visible to the viewer with the first glimpse of the picture. Nevertheless, it is challenging to deduce what the brown images in the sky represent (Jordanova, 25). All human beings in this portrait appear to engage in different activities. Men that appear on the left side of the picture frame are busy reading while monks on the top right corner are busy meditating. Women are the main point of focus since they appear at the front. The small girls in wings are presumably angels carrying a baby. It is difficult to deduce the relationship between these woman and the angels. To conclude, this portrait is the perfect art that represents human beings in their correct dimensions, without exaggeration. Nevertheless, representation of angels in human form is imaginary. Question 2 Botticellis Birth of Venus is among the most valued art made by artists who lived in the period prior to Mannerism. This period in history is termed as the Renaissance period. This period is famous for artists who valued humanism. These artists attempted to curve their arts in a manner that is idealistic of real human beings. Botticelli portrait portrays a goddess (Venus) arises from the sea in a shell that is attached a mythical explanation of her birth. The winds formed by the wind-gods push the shell towards the seashore (Jordanova, 25). The shell is characterized by a set of roses. As Venus nearly steps on shore, a Nymph emerges and covers her with a wrap. The beauty and purity of goddess Venus are exemplifying. Botticelli portrays her nudity, which holds a self-significance. This exception arises from the belief that during the Renaissance period, nearly every artwork related to Christian themes. The Christian doctrines prohibited public portrayal of nude women. In a visual analysis of this artwork, numerous aspects of this image are in motion. For instance, leaves of orange trees visible in the background appear to be in constant motion. Hair locks seem to be blown by the Zephyrs whilst the air behind her floats roses (Jordanova, 25). Waves mildly break whilst cloaks and fabric of images are lifted by wind. Botticellis painting of Venus was the first major portrait developed in Florence during the Renaissance era. In his preparation for coloring, he utilized his tempera colors (pigments). Strangely, he covered these pigments in a coating of pure egg white. However, it is unusual to take this step at that particular moment. From its sparkle and brightness, Botticellis piece is resemblance of a mural. This artwork relied on thinness of lines that Botticelli used. The comparative dimensions portray great exaggeration. Nevertheless, Venus’ long neck and her stream of hair aids in the creation of a mysterious image. Birth of Venus is a valued portrait that is typical of Renaissance era. The first glance of this image can be deceitful, and one might fail to perceive some of its aspects. For instance, motion of objects in this painting may make the roses inconspicuous. Visibility of the roses is realized upon a keen analysis of this portrait (Jordanova, 25). Moreover, the colors utilized in this artistry work are gentle and easy on human eyes. However, colors in Birth of Venus are not conspicuous enough. Andy Warhol modified this portrait are renamed it Details of Renaissance Paintings. Consequently, the modified image of Venus appears more colorful and pleasant. Strands of Venus’ hair disguise as lines that direct eyes of viewers all over the portrait. They head in varied directions (top, middle, right and bottom). One strand of hair runs down to the bottom of the frame, while another strand runs leftwards close to her face. This strand of hair diverts attention onto the left side of the frame, which is virtually empty (Jordanova, 25). Moreover, to balance this blankness further, Venus gazes towards the bottom left corner. A shade of light color also appears in this blank space. The light color seen in the blank space appears visually lighter than the other colors. Thus, it seems less weighty compared to the darker colors of hair strands and warm colors in Venus’s face. The pictorial lightness and Venus’s gaze towards the left side strongly balances dullness created by strands of hair and flowers on the right side. Since it is two-dimensional, this drawing comprises many shapes. Lines and transformations in color create these shapes. For instance, Venus’s red hair forms by transference from a light blue background (Jordanova, 25). Moreover, there is a shift from the slightly blue background to the slightly pink upper body of Venus. Outlines of Venus’ hair give it the conspicuous shape. Therefore, a mixture of lines and shifts in color are utilized all over this portrait’s frame to create varied shapes in this piece. Work Cited Jordanova, L J. The Look of the Past: Visual and Material Evidence in Historical Practice. , 2012. Print. Read More