The Birth of Venus

Gallery 376, European Art 1500-1850, third floor

Main Building

The Birth of Venus

1635 or 1636

Nicolas Poussin (French, 1594–1665)

The subject of this grand mythological painting remains a topic of lively debate: some see the birth of Venus, some see her triumphal parade, and others see the sea god Neptune's marine procession. There is even disagreement as to whether Venus is depicted at all. The woman in the center might instead be Galatea, a sea nymph who is often shown riding in a cockleshell chariot drawn by dolphins. As reflected here, Poussin exercised great skill in introducing multiple meanings and rich ambiguity into his paintings of classical themes. This painting used to belong to Catherine the Great and still bears a Russian inscription on the frame and a Hermitage Museum inventory number on the lower left corner of the canvas. It was sold by the Soviet government in 1930.

Gallery 376, European Art 1500-1850, third floor

Object Details

Title:

The Birth of Venus

Date:

1635 or 1636

Artist:

Nicolas Poussin (French, 1594–1665)

Medium:

Oil on canvas

Dimensions:

38 1/4 × 42 1/2 inches (97.2 × 108 cm) Frame: 62 1/4 inches × 6 feet 3 1/4 inches × 6 inches (158.1 × 191.1 × 15.2 cm)

Classification:

Paintings

Credit Line:

The George W. Elkins Collection, 1932

Accession Number:

E1932-1-1

Geography:

Made in Italy, Europe

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Gallery 376, European Art 1500-1850, third floor

Main Building

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