You were born beautiful
(Click image to see full painting)
Do you know the story of the birth of Venus? One of the most famous versions is that Venus emerged from the sea fully grown.
Entering into the world amid a shower of roses, the resplendent goddess was born with the perfect femininity, grace, and beauty that she was believed to have symbolized.
This myth is famously portrayed in the painting, “The Birth of Venus,” by Sandro Botticelli. Before reading further, be sure to take a look at the full painting (image will open in a new window).
I think this painting teaches a vitally important lesson — and one that holds particular relevance as we celebrate the start of the New Year.
Even the Goddess of Beauty is Imperfect
If you cast a critical eye upon this painting, you can spot some distinct imperfections in the way Botticelli painted the Roman goddess. Look closely and you can see that Venus’ neck looks unnaturally long and her left shoulder dips down at an almost awkward and physically impossible angle.
It is these physical “imperfections”, however, that actually create a sense of harmony and achieve the gracefully composed lines in this painting. The goddess’ curving neck and shoulder are essential in artistically capturing the moment when Venus prepares to delicately step out from her floating shell.
Ultimately, it is the goddess’s physical appearance — seemingly flawed through it may be — that makes this painting a masterpiece.
Do you see where I’m going with this, Makeup Moxies?
When you spend too much time finding and critizing what you feel are physical imperfections, you miss the bigger (and infinitely more important) picture of beauty that your life creates.
We tend to fuss over everything from our pores and waistlines being too big to our breasts and eyes being too small…and every perceived imperfection in between. But it’s time to put a stop to this, Makeup Moxies.
If you make one resolution this year, join me in making this one: Every time you look in the mirror, resist the urge to dwell on anything that you think is an imperfection. Instead, remember that, like Venus herself, you were born beautiful and you are beautiful.
Makeup Moxies, I hope you have a truly gorgeous New Year filled with more joy, love, and success than even you can imagine!
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DISCUSSION:
6 comments so far...
1 Trish // Jan 3, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Wow, this is aweseome. Thank you!
2 Jazmin // Jan 4, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Hi Trish! You’re so welcome…and thank you. I’m glad you liked it :)
3 Brenda Harness // Feb 4, 2008 at 10:33 am
Botticelli’s supermodel was Simonetta Vespucci. She was actually terminally ill, and she died at the young age of 22 in 1476 from (probably) tuberculosis. You can see that her joints are swollen in this painting. Botticelli continued to paint Simonetta for another 25 years after her death. Like most Florentine men of the time, he was totally smitten with the beautiful woman. This is probably more information than you wanted to know though, right?
4 Jazmin // Feb 4, 2008 at 11:50 am
Hi Brenda,
Thank you so much for you comment! And quite to the contrary! That’s a deeply interesting theory about this painting and one of which I wasn’t aware.
And it does bolster the original point I was trying to make, which is that women, despite any perceived physical “imperfections,” are truly beautiful.
Thanks again for sharing this!
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