The Birth of Venus

Centered in the composition is Venus, nude and standing on a shell, her long hair falling over her body as she raises an arm. Surrounding her are nymphs and putti in the water and on the shore, with a softly painted sky and cloud-filled heavens above that include more small figures. The work uses a luminous, pastel color palette—flesh tones, pale blues, and pinks—executed with smooth, highly polished brushwork typical of Bouguereau's French Academic style, yielding an idealized, classical treatment of the myth.