Botticelli’s Birth of Venus: uncovering the hidden symbolism you probably missed
Botticelli’s Birth of Venus looks like a straightforward myth, but it was built for a household schooled in Neoplatonic philosophy. Behind the scallop shell and the flower-patterned cloak sit the Medici family’s own emblem, a disputed model, and a pose lifted from ancient marble. This guide walks through what the painting was actually designed to say.
