The Concept of "Venus"

Venus is the second-closest planet to the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows. This description directly correlates to Titans painting, Venus With The Mirror. Venus meaning love or sexual desire in Latin, was a major Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty and fertility, who played a key role in many Roman religious festivals and myths. From the third century BC, the increasing Hellenization of Roman upper classes identified her as the equivalent of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. Knowing the historical aspect of Venus aids the audience in critiquing Venus With a Mirror in an efficient manner. Because Venus was considered to be beautiful, exotic, and without flaw, many paintings and criticisms have been done solely on the influence of the Roman goddess. Many times, it seems as if scholars forget that Venus is a mythological figure, because of her strong influence in the artistic world. However, when constructing an analysis of her being, there must be a realistic approach in arguments and claims made regarding Venus. Titan sets the pace for future paintings such as Venus in a Mirror, and Venus Before a mirror just to name a few. His extravagant painting of a voluptuous woman (Venus) looking into a mirror with cupid by her side is extremely intricate. We also must consider the historical context of the painting. The painting was produced in 1555. 16th Century Europe had a very particular and absurd view of beauty. Women dressed the same and were not as voluptuous as how Venus is seen in the painting. Here are some images to give you an idea of what was considered beautiful in 16th century Europe: