The Birth of Venus Alexandre Cabanel (1823-1889)

Description of Alexandre Cabanel’s painting "Birth of Venus"

The artist Cabanel’s erotic work is currently in Paris at the Musée d’Orsay. The author of The Birth of Venus was one of the public’s most popular favorites, adored by the rulers. And the reason for this love of the people and the rulers was simple - he always knew the tastes of society and the public, so he could easily indulge both.

So in his painting, Cabanel showed everyone what everyone wanted and what many dreamed of. At the time, a series of terrible revolutions were sweeping through France, and people wanted to start living the life they wanted. Many wanted to admire feminine beauty in a peaceful environment. All of this is shown in the work of Alexandre Cabanel very vividly and even defiantly.

The picture was created in 1863, however, it was not distinguished by something special and did not become a "new breath" or a stage of work for the artist. The thing is that once Cabanel chose the path and style of painting, once did not go anywhere else and did not try to do something different. All of his paintings were smooth and beguiling in their beauty and femininity.

Nevertheless, he received the Legion of Honor for this painting. The painting turned out to be very delicate. The body of the Goddess swaying gently on the waves, thus repeating their natural curves. Venus herself not only enjoys the silence and the calm, but also curves it. The artist painted her in a state of exhaustion, a half-slumber, so one gets the impression that she would be available to anyone who wanted to master her body.

And around Venus is the sea. It foams a little, but it overshadows the girl’s tranquility. It does not betray its presence, knowing that it cannot compete with this femininity and beauty. This is the beauty and tranquility that the men of the time imagined the ideal woman to be. So the author was able to understand people’s desires and display them in his painting.