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Journalism of Courage
When Satish Gupta shuts his eyes, he sees Sandro Botticelli8217;s The Birth of Venus, which inspires him to celebrate life
Some works of art leave a lasting impression on the mind. For me, Sandro Botticelli8217;s The Birth of Venus has a strength and beauty that is eternal. During my student days, I would read about the work of the Renaissance era artist, even though it wasn8217;t a part of the curriculum at the Delhi College of Art.
I would admire images of his artwork and often turned to The Birth of Venus due to its dreamlike quality and the inner light that I felt it emitted. When I was studying in Paris during my 20s, I took a trip to Florence just to see the work that is part of the collection at the Uffizi Gallery. Its magnanimous size surprised me and looking at it in person was an altogether different experience, which I would compare to seeing the pictures of the Taj Mahal and then actually visiting the monument.
I still have an image of the work with me, and have seen it four to five times during my subsequent trips to Florence. It is imbibed in my mind, I just need to shut my eyes. There has been no direct influence of the canvas on my work, but I try to paint with the same devotion and dedication that Botticelli did. I often feel that contemporary art has become obsessed with death and ugliness, which is not required.
Even back then, in the Renaissance era, all wasn8217;t really hunky-dory or peaceful and there were struggles, but artists showcased beauty and joy. I too aspire to celebrate life through my art.
