The Birth of Venus is Sandro Botticelli’s’ most famous painting. It is such a revolutionary painting in its time for two reasons. First, rather than depiction a religious scene, this paint depicts a ancient Roman myth: The Birth of Venus. And, this painting depicted a nude woman, something that was condoned by the Church. This painting shows Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty, emerging from a seashell in the ocean and being pushed to the shore by two wind spirits. On the shore, a nymph holds a robe to cover Venus. The poem Stanze per la Giostra, written by Angelo Poliziano seems to have served as an inspiration to Botticelli ; the painting is almost an illustration of the poem. The painting was completed by Botticelli in 1486 and many historians believe that a member of the Medici family commissioned it. The Birth of Venus is currently housed in the Uffizi gallery in Florence, Italy.
