In 1984, Andy Warhol revisited the theme of reviving the artworks of Renaissance masters Sandro Botticelli, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Piero Della Francesca and Paolo Uccello. Warhol’s screen printed versions of the acclaimed masterworks utilized his iconic pop style by interspersing vibrant colors with classical themes while simultaneously muting details from the original artworks. In his series “Details of Renaissance Paintings” (1984) Warhol created his own kitschy versions of classic architecture from “Madonna of the Duca da Montefeltro”, hyper-pigmented details of DaVinci’s “The Annunciation”, Uccello’s nod to biblical lore in “St George and the Dragon” and perhaps the most iconic, “Birth of Venus” by Sandro Botticelli. Botticelli’s original painting “The Birth of Venus“, is thought to have been executed in the mid-1480’s and depicts the nude goddess Venus emerging fully grown from a scallop shell floating to shore. Included in the original painting are other winged figures, the wind god Zephyr who blows her to shore and Aura, the lighter breeze. To the right of Venus is Horae, one of the three Greek goddesses holding a cloak to dress the freshly emerging Venus. The masterwork hangs in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and it has been suggested that it was commissioned by the Medici family. Andy Warhol’s version of “The Birth of Venus” focuses solely on the goddess’ face and hair, accentuating her beauty by leaving the background plain. The goddess was depicted by Warhol in four distinct colorways and the works are the most popular in the series “Details of Renaissance Paintings” . These versions of Botticelli’s iconic masterwork are yet other examples of how Andy Warhol repurposed highly-recognizable imagery, making it more accessible to an eager public.
“Venus“, from: “Details of renaissance paintings (Sandro Botticelli, Birth of Venus, 1482)” (F&S.II.318) is a silkscreen in colors, 1984, Signed and numbered edition of 70 in pencil (there were also 18 artist’s proofs), printed by Rupert Jasen Smith, New York, published by Editions Schellmann & Klüser, Munich/New York. Image: 27 1/4 x 40 in. (69.2 x 101.6 cm) Sheet: 32 1/8 x 44 1/8 in. (81.6 x 112.1 cm).
PRICE: On request
Warhol’s Birth of Venus available!!!
