Botticelli, The Birth of Venus

The Birth of Venus... a masterpiece; central to Botticelli's oeuvre and the culmination of Florentine Neoplatonism. We have no archival records or direct documentation: the date, intended destination, and exact identification of the figures are left to interpretation and disagreement among various specialists. An unparalleled iconological training, Botticelli's allegories are a real headache not only for art historians, but also for historians of literature and philosophy, lovers of the occult sciences, and even botanists, astronomers, Kabbalists, historians of Christianity... Perhaps only the Mona Lisa has been the subject of more writings and interpretations than the “Allegory of Spring,” and Venus Rising from the Waves is undoubtedly one of the very few paintings immediately recognizable to the general public.