The subject of the birth of Aphrodite or Venus has always been a favorite in artwork. Since the goddess represents desire and physical attraction, and given the way the female form has often been objectified and sexualized, it is perhaps not surprising she has often depicted nude, but there are also modern examples of how her birth might be represented visually in a way that does not objectify women. Read more
To celebrate Valentine’s day, I chose Ovid for this Gallery about Love. He was the first to write about the art of love and gallantry. Ovid was born in 43 BCE. He was a talented poet. He was educated in Rome and traveled in Greece. He composed many beautiful works. "If there be anyone among you who is ignorant of the art of loving, let him read this poem and,… Read more
Virgil, who lived during the same era as Augustus, wrote the Aeneid. This epic poem tells the story of the Trojan hero Aeneas and his adventures to found a new city in Italy and to start a new generation for the beginning of Rome. Augustus is cited several times in the Aeneid. This Gallery will show pictures of art inspired from the Aeneid and from the Roman Republic, and the… Read more
