Birth of Venus

Venus is in the middle, standing on a shell, surrounded by divine and sea creatures paying homage to her: on the left is Teti, on the opposite side is the god of the sea Neptune, “il quale sta ammirato e immoto a vedere surgere dall’onde quella Dea tanto bella” (who stands still and full of admiration for such a beautiful Goddess coming out of the waves). Then there are the Tritons and the Nereids, offering shells, pearls, corals, the purple, motherpearls. Photo: Raffaello Bencini