Woman Holding Balance and Birth of Venus
While art may often imitate life, it also reflects passions and beliefs. These expressions are consistent, in some ways, across history and style or form, however, each expression is unique and contains qualities that others do not. This can be seen in two iconic works with female subjects in “Woman Holding Balance” and “The Birth of Venus.” These two works are similar in their iconic representation of the female form, and their religious significance, however their medium, form, and subject matter contrast significantly.
First, it is significant to consider the form. Both works are paintings, but that is where their similarity, in terms of artistic medium, ends. The Birth of Venus is tempra on canvas. As such, it does not have the depth that other paint forms have, but rather forms a kind of chalky, single dimension, layer of paint that soaks into the canvas. It is very flat and free of apparent brush strokes and texture. In contrast, Woman Holding Balance is oil on canvas. This gives it a less pastel, or richer color base, and greater texture in the brush stroke, than the former work’s medium would allow. As a result, the work is darker over all, and appears to have significantly more visual depth.
Another significant similarity is subject matter. Both paintings contain the image of a single woman at the center of the frame. The study of the female form has long been a significant topic for art, and so it is unsurprising that we find them here. However, the way the female form is treated in each piece of art is significantly different. The Birth of Venus shows Venus rising up out of the water, and as such, is a full study of the nude female form. In contrast, the Woman Holding Balance is the physical embodiment of the Christian judgement, and as such is fully clothed in modest, and modern apparel.
This significant difference in the two studies of form can, in part, be explained according to the era and style of the painting. The birth of Venus is a work of the Italian Renaissance period, and is extremely representative of the mythological paintings of that period. Significant features specific to that genre, including a clear use of sensuality, and movement away from the naturalistic form. This can be seen in the distortion, or unrealistic proportions of the Venus form, her elongated neck, and long torso give her a long lean look that is very sensual, but improbable. Further, the background is summary in nature, no contributing meaningfully to the overall interpretation of the work, which is instead focused only on the Venus form.
In contrast, Woman Holding Balance is a work of the Baroque period. The Baroque period, in contrast, was marked by a sense of grandeur, and was known for the creation of strong religious works and elegant portraits. These portraits often featured a growing sense of naturalism, or attempted to create realistic depictions of the human form. All of these features are present in The Woman holding balance. The portrait of a woman is serene, and clearly religious in nature, as demonstrated in the picture of the judgement that hangs behind her, and in her own pensive stance, which seems focused on the balance in her hand, or the weight between right and wrong.
Another classic characteristic of the Baroque work is the use of light. This is well displayed in Woman Holding Balance, as the light creates a kind of halo effect in her head covering, and brightly lights around the scales, which are positioned before the darkest area in the frame. It also focuses more light on the scales than the pearls and other worldly goods, further emphasizing the religious theme.
It is also interesting to note that Birth of Venus imitates other art. Venus’s pose is taken from the sculptures of the ancient Greeks. This is significant as part of the renaissance movement which sought to reestablish a uniquely western art form. This is also significant because it strayed away from the pre-renaissance art, which was purely religious in nature, instead focusing on mythology, history, and humanity. However, it is also significant to note that it break away from many of the more common features of the Italian renaissance. The Italian renaissance is primarily remembered for realism, masterful use of light, linear perspective, and anatomically correct depictions of humans, none of which occurs in Botticelli’s work here. In this regard, Woman Holding Balance is much more representative of the traiditons of the Baroque period, than The Birth of Venus is of the Italian Renaissance.
The Birth of Venus, by Botticelli, and Woman Holding Balance, by Vermeer are both exquisite studies of the female form, though their approach and purpose is markedly different. While these two works are in some ways very similar, in terms of their representation of a specific style, and their use of the female body, they represent two very different periods of artistic history, and as such contain unique qualities that the other does not “Woman Holding Balance” is strongly allegorical, and realistic, using light and the careful placement of objects within the scene to embody the careful balance of man between the world and holiness. “The Birth of Venus” in contrast, is mythological in nature, and depicts the image of Venus rising from the sea, in unrealistic proportions, and brazen lack of apparel. Overall, both works are beautiful, meeting well both the viewer’s expectation, and the artist’s purpose.
References:
Botticelli, S. (1486) The Birth of Venus.
Vermeer, J. (1664). Woman Holding Balance
