Painting Cabanel "The Birth of Venus" - the grace of the female body

Erotic in the style of "nude" picture Cabanel "The Birth of Venus" is from 1928 in the Museum of Orsay in Paris. She pretty much rummaged around the museums before finding a permanent place of deployment.

Alexander Kabanel (1823-1889) was born in the south of France, but spent his entire life in Paris. In it he studied, worked, earned his fame and earned money. He was kindly treated by the rulers and loved by the public. This happened precisely because the master skillfully indulged the tastes of the public of his time. In France there was a series of revolutions, the bourgeoisie wanted to live in pleasure, to admire beautiful views and women. All this provided unpretentious viewers Alexander Kabanel. "The birth of Venus" shows this especially clearly.

Themes of works

In his works we see mainly mythological, historical themes. Women as a selection are beautiful, but for psychological accuracy, the artist did not chase. The first painting, for which Cabanel received the award, was written in Rome. This is the "Death of Moses", which was exhibited in the salon when he was 29 years old. Then came numerous female portraits, written in the same smooth, varnished academic manner. In 1863 the artist became an academician. It was in this year that Cabanel's painting "The Birth of Venus" was painted. She did not become a stage in his work. Once working out the manner of writing, the artist did not deviate from her in any work. Whether it's "Abduction of a nymph", or "Echo", or "Cleopatra", or "Ophelia".

In "Ophelia" there is no tragedy, and it is not required by anyone. But the painter received after the "Venus" Order of the Legion of Honor.

Eroticism in the picture of Alexander Cabanel

As if not from porcelain, and from the white-pink marzipan (this comparison made by E. Zola) created a new work Alexander Kabanel. The painting "The Birth of Venus" is amazingly gentle. The divine body, swaying gently on the waves, repeats their bends. Venus, fully enjoying the calm, arching it from head to foot. She is half asleep, in languor, and it seems that she will be obedient to everyone who wants this beautiful body. Around this passive deity the sea is a little foaming, not daring to compete with the girl and disturb her sleepy state.

The eyes of Venus are half-closed, their hands are thrown behind the head. One of them is bent at the elbow, as if showing that the goddess is not going to wake up. She is sweet, she is luxuriating in the warm waves that wash her beautiful body. And around there are helpless, frolic angels who blow trumpets from the shells, announcing the birth of Venus.

By Italian standards - this is just the Annunciation. This should give a nude sensual beauty at least a little respectability.

Correspondence to the ideals of time

Painting Cabanel "The Birth of Venus" fully meets the needs of the public. It is quite in the taste of visitors to the Salon. It was such a beautiful woman of that time. It is she who is the ideal of beauty:

• High, higher than the models from which photos were made at that time;
• Red-haired, which was very fashionable;
• With rounded knees and a long slender body;
• With a smooth, shaved skin.

It is not by chance that the "Birth of Venus" (Cabanel's painting) appealed to Emperor Napoleon III. He immediately bought it and replenished his collection. The first painting, which he liked from Cabanel, was "The Abduction of a Nymph," which also depicts a white marble model with long red hair in the embrace of a frightening satyr. So gradually A. Kabanel's work became standard. The artist's paintings were sugary, from them came the fragrance of "violets and roses". His work, in which there are no ups and downs, suggested that it will appeal to the mass audience.

And it happened. His work was consistently technically quality, realistic without gross naturalism, with a pleasant color. It was a sweet mediocrity. Nevertheless, the artist had no downtime. Customers were lining up.

"The Birth of Venus", a picture of Cabanel: composition

The horizon line runs very low. Directly on it and is Venus. It rests on waves that are weakly crumbling. No frills and complexities in the composition of the picture there.

Light and color

From the canvas comes the impression of freshness and clarity. Soft light does not cut the eyes of the brightness of the Mediterranean sun. Against the background of the azure sky, the body is distinguished by delicate pearlescent shades.

Painting Cabanel "The Birth of Venus" simple, unsophisticated, like a bourgeois mass audience. By modern standards, there is nothing super-intact in it. Just do not look for it in the psychological approach and the depth of disclosure of the topic.