VENUS GARDEN - THE GARDEN OF VENUS
“The Birth of Venus” by Botticelli, painting exhibited in Florence at the Uffizi Museum
The influence of Venus has spanned the centuries and is all around us today!
Venus is the Roman goddess of love, beauty and fertility. It was also associated with seduction, passion and luxury. It should be the cockade, even the standard, for all those who, like us, set themselves the mission of illuminating or magnifying women and elevating them to the rank of goddess.
The Romans, for their part, had already understood her well and they considered her as a major goddess, summoned at every supplication and offering during weddings or celebrations of love.
It needed a setting, so the Garden of Venus was a mythical place in Roman tradition, known for its beauty and creativity. It is said that Venus herself planted flowers and trees there, so that this enchanting and magical place could allow lovers to meet again and thus contribute to the advent of feelings.
Magic was also associated with Venus in Romanesque tradition. She was considered the goddess of magic, of love, capable of inspiring passions and guiding lovers in their quest for feelings. Rituals and spells associated with Venus were often used to help find or win back love.
In art, Venus is often depicted as a nude woman, holding an apple in her hand. This image is associated with the Greek legend of the judgment of Paris, in which Venus, Hera and Athena compete for the golden apple symbol of beauty.
Botticelli's painting "The Birth of Venus" is an allegory of feminine beauty and purity. Venus is represented in her "anadyomene" form, which means "outflow of the waters", it is a direct allusion to the Greek mythology on the birth of Aphrodite (Venus for the Romans). The characters are represented in full length. Venus has inspired other painters throughout the centuries. “Venus at her mirror” by Diego Velázquez, “Sleeping Venus” by Giorgione, “Venus and Adonis” by Titian, “Venus and Cupid” by Luca Cranach, “La Belle Ferronnière” by Leonardo da Vinci... And how not to remember that the sculpture of the “Venus de Milo” is visible at the Louvre!
Over the centuries, the figure of Venus has continued to fascinate artists, poets and writers, who have explored the themes of love, passion and magic associated with this mythical goddess.
Treat yourself and read or... reread "The Fool and the Venus" by Baudelaire, or "Venus anadyomene" by Rimbaud, "Venus and Adonis" by William Shakespeare, "The Banquet" by Plato, "The Odyssey" by 'Homer...
Even today, Venus remains an iconic figure of love and beauty in popular culture.