Can You Find The Venus of Urbino?

Spot the famous Titian painting in the halls of the Uffizi

By Google Arts & Culture

Venus of Urbino (1538) by Tiziano VecellioUffizi Gallery

Titian's Venus of Urbino set the standard of beauty for centuries. While she bears the name of the Roman goddess of love, she lacks the traditional symbols of the deity, instead she's unashamedly erotic.

The Venus of Urbino is part of the collection held at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. The gallery is itself housed inside a renaissance-era magistrates building designed by Giorgio Vasari. Right now, we're standing in the cortile.

While the Uffizi used to be the offices of Florentine magistrates, its long corridors and rooms made it perfect for exhibiting art. It was open to invitation in the 16th Century, and officially became a public museum in 1865.

We're now inside the galleries, and the Venus is close by. Stay on this slide and point & click to explore the rooms, and keep an eye out for her.

Here she is, the Venus of Urbino.

Venus of Urbino (1538) by Tiziano VecellioUffizi Gallery

The painting is said to have drawn inspiration from the Dresden Venus, painted collaboratively by Giorgione and Titian. Together, these artists essentially invented the genre of the female nude.

Olympia (19th Century) by Edouard Manet (1832-1883) and Paris, musée d'OrsayOriginal Source: Paris, musée d'Orsay

The iconic, languid pose of the Venus has been copied and referenced throughout the centuries. This painting, Olympia, made by Edouard Manet in 1863, clearly calls back to the Venus of Urbino and to the Dresden Venus.

Thanks for joining this scavenger hunt. There's lots more to see at the Uffizi, and the city of Florence itself is full of art and artefacts. Why not carry on exploring?

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