Venus Returning to the Sea
Artist
Frederic James
(American, 1915 - 1985)
Dateca. 1957
MediumMetalpoint, graphite, gouache, and watercolor on gray prepared illustration board
DimensionsUnframed: 27 × 17 1/8 inches (68.58 × 43.51 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Perry Faeth through the Friends of Art
Object number57-72
Signedl.r.: Frederic James
On View
Not on viewCollections
Gallery LabelLook closely and you will see Venus as she walks back toward the waves, past weathered driftwood standing in the sand like the broken columns of ancient ruins. According to ancient Roman myth, the sea birthed Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, as a full-grown woman. Rather than recreate her briny origin story as countless other artists have, Frederic James invented a new narrative in which Venus returns to her birthplace. Without the descriptive title, however, we might overlook the diminutive figure.
Copyright© Estate of Frederic James
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