Episode VII: Birth of Venus by Alessandro Botticelli

Teacher

Birth of Venus by Alessandro Botticelli

The Birth of Venus is one of the world’s most recognized paintings. In depicting how the Roman goddess of love, Venus, came into being, Botticelli continued his depiction of mythological subject matter in painting. This lecture will examine the composition and symbolism of the painting, as well as discussing the je ne sais quoi that makes the painting so timelessly appealing.

Video Features

Lectures 1
Quizzes 0
Duration 12 minutes
Skill level All levels
Language English
Students 9
Assessments Yes

Rocky Ruggiero, Ph.D.

Rocky Ruggiero has been a professor of Art and Architectural History since 1999. He received his BA from the College of the Holy Cross and a Master of Arts degree from Syracuse University, where he was awarded a prestigious Florence Fellowship in 1996. He furthered his art historical studies at the University of Exeter, UK, where he received a Ph.D. in Art History and Visual Culture. In addition to lecturing for various American universities in Florence, Italy, including Syracuse, Kent State, Vanderbilt, and Boston College, Rocky has starred in various TV documentaries concerning the Italian Renaissance. He has appeared as an expert witness in the History Channel’s “Engineering an Empire: Da Vinci’s World” and “Museum Secrets: the Uffizi Gallery”, as well as the recent NatGeo/NOVA PBS program on Brunelleschi’s dome entitled “Great Cathedral Mystery.”