Visual Media Formal Analysis

Visual Media Formal Analysis

Image credits: Andy Warhol (1928-1987)

Details of Renaissance Painting (Sandro Botticelli, Birth of Venus)

Andy Warhol’s art that is titled Details of Renaissance Paintings (Sandro Botticelli, Birth of Venus, 1482) is an art that is representative of Venus, who is a goddess. The piece was initially completed in 1984 as a copy of its original painting, which was completed in 1482. It is currently located in the Arkansas center for arts, while it was initially located in the Andy Warhol Museum, which is in Pennsylvania. This piece is silkscreen ink on line and is made of acrylic and can only be observed from one side.

Formal analysis

The work has a colorful presentation of the goddess’ face, as it is a replica of the earlier version of The Birth of Venus by Botticelli. Nevertheless, Andy Warhol utilizes a plethora of colors in this particular work. The face of Venus, as well as her neck,  are depicted as pinkish, while her hair is a mixture of black, yellow, orange, and red. On the contrariwise, the background is made of a solid light blue color. In the picture, the hair and the face are more emphasized due to the colors as well as her gaze.

Andy Warhol utilizes lines in a bid to direct the eyes of the viewer towards the center of the artwork. These implied lines are strands of Venus’ hair as they are depicted to go in each direction. This hair bundle is also more emphasized, especially on the right side of the picture. Although most of the lines are represented on the right side, the left side was balanced in an asymmetrical manner by her gaze towards the bottom corner, as well as the light color utilized in the space.

The art also has some composition of shapes as it in a two-dimensional format. However, most of these shapes are formed by shifts in color and lines. For instance, Venus’s red hair is created via the shift from a blue background as well as her pink upper body. Lines that outline her hair in some places also give the shape of her hair some form. In this manner, both shifts in color and lines are utilized together in some places and deliberately separated in other areas to form shapes in the artwork.

Analysis of content

            Warhol’s banal choice of Botticelli’s Venus for his prints is as intricate under the surface as ironically depicted by Warhol. This means that it is a twist on a twist, that is, the work of Botticelli is said to be a copy of the renowned Greek painter Appeles, thus meaning that it is a combination of both of the artist’s works and techniques. Because the initial painting by Botticelli did not emphasize on Venus herself as well as her natural features, Warhol spliced the image to the region which “popped” the extremely beautiful face of Venus, and he accentuated the rhythmic linearity of Botticelli’s technique with his own lines, that he is well known for. This resulted in an object of desire and vanitas portrait. The Venus that Warhol wanted to show was the benchmark of beauty itself, and he achieves this by stripping away everything but Venus’s face from Botticelli’s image. Therefore, Warhol takes the audience to the core of the meaning of the goddess of desire, while also driving the forces of consumer culture (“Birth of Venus, 1984 (#316, Details of Renaissance Paintings)”, 2019).

Analysis of the broader context of the work

            The cultural links between the 20^th century and the renaissance were not lost in Warhol’s work, which exemplifies his decisions to work on those specific images that consist of the Renaissance painting details. As the century progresses, Pop art changed the paintings as well. Lessening the boundary between the poor and the rich and through the recreation of Botticelli’s Venus in a series of prints, Warhol manages to open the doors for everyone to be able to access this face, and it is not only confined to the rich only, as it was initially. Just as Botticelli recreated the work of Appele in order to suit his culture as well as time, just like any works of Warhol, there is more than meets the eyes and cultural significance to it.

Analysis of works effectiveness

            Andy Warhol’s work is highly effective in communicating the message behind the art. The depiction of Venus’ face is primarily perceived as beautiful as the colors, lines, as well as forms,  intertwine to depict the true nature of the goddess. As a symbol and epitome of beauty itself, Warhol describes the true nature of the goddess beauty by focusing primarily on the womanly features like a slim face and nose and red lips. This all accentuates the beauty of the picture and thus sparks one’s desire, which is what the Venus goddess stands for. Therefore, the art that is made by Warhol, which is a remake of Botticelli’s initial artwork, is able to capture the attention of its viewers and represent beauty and in the same manner, spark the feeling of desire in its audience. This shows the effectiveness of the art.