How Did Renaissance Influence Greek Art

Throughout history the Ancient Greek and Roman culture has always been respected and looked up to. The Italian Renaissance also looked up to this era in history. During the renaissance, the respect and desire for art, literature and knowledge was returning to the lives of many. A lot of similarities can be seen between Greek and Roman sculpture and art and renaissance pieces. Many people looked to the Greek philosophers as their knowledge was well respected and their culture so influential.

Some similarities can be seen between The Birth of Venus by Botticelli and Aphrodite of Knidos by Praxiteles. Even though one is a painting and one a sculpture you can clearly see the influence of Greek and Roman art on the piece by Botticelli.

The Birth of Venus was completed by Botticelli around 1485. It is said to be one of his most well-known artworks. This piece was completed on canvas per Uffizi.org, one of the first works to be commissioned in this medium. The influential Medici family ordered the commission

The sculpture that remains now is a Roman copy of the original Greek work. It is one of the first representation of a goddess completely in the nude. During this time the representation of any female completely in the nude was almost unheard of, certainly not a goddess. Per a Brown University publication, it is regarded as “One of the most famous sculptures in Classical Greece”.

The body of Venus is very soft and womanly much like the Aphrodite of Knidos. Both would have been depicted with the ideal body of a woman at the time. They are both seen in the contrapposto pose or weight shift which was very popular in Greek and Roman sculpture. Venus is seen covering her genitals with her long flowing hair and Aphrodite has a very similar pose. Due to this pose, both women appear more shy or reserved which was normal for women in art if they were being presented