The period of Renaissance gave rise to Neoplatonism, a movement reviving interest in philosophy and art. The antique goddess Venus once again found her place among artists as the personification of love, marriage and ideal beauty. Hence, it is no wonder she was the inspiration for the motif of female nude. Since nudity in Renaissance had not yet been widely accepted, the motif of the nude had to be concealed with a veil of mythology – and the image of Venus was simply ideal for this job. The present BA thesis outlines the motif of female nude in Renaissance, during which it first appeared with Giorgione’s Sleeping Venus. With the help of his predecessor, Tiziano Vecellio, known as Titian, continued developing the motif and incorporated Venus in many an artwork throughout his oeuvre. His best-known and most praised work is certainly The Venus of Urbino. The painting showcases a skilled use of colour, a playfully executed composition and above all proves that a female is a strong enough character to take up the entire space of a canvas. The thesis also demonstrates how The Venus of Urbino influenced numerous later paintings by Titian and how he took his inspiration for them directly from The Venus of Urbino, the supposedly first reclining female nude.
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