Compositie met Venus Anadyomene 1686 - 1724

This anonymous drawing features Venus Anadyomene, a classical symbol of beauty emerging from the sea. The goddess stands atop a fountain, flanked by sea creatures and putti, all framed within elaborate architectural ornamentation. This motif of Venus rising from the waves echoes through art history, from Botticelli’s iconic Renaissance painting to ancient Roman frescoes. Consider the ‘pudica’ gesture—her modest attempt to cover herself—a visual language developed in antiquity and seen across different eras. It is a fascinating survival, a persistent echo of the classical past resonating in later artistic traditions. The collective memory of Venus, as a symbol of beauty, love, and fertility, engages our subconscious, stirring emotions and desires tied to the archetypal feminine. This image serves as a reminder that artistic creation is an ongoing dialogue with the past, and that certain symbols and themes will continually resurface.