Botticelli's Venus is first Renaissance artwork to be shown publicly in city
Something old, something nude
One of Italy's national treasures - Venus by Florentine Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli - will be on display at University of Hong Kong's Museum and Art Gallery from Friday until December 15.
"We are very excited about the show," says museum director Florian Knothe. "This is the first time this painting has been shown in Hong Kong - and I believe it's the first time an original Renaissance painting has been shown [in public] here."
The show is part of the museum and gallery's 60th anniversary celebrations. And Knothe says security at HKU has been tightened for the two-month run. "With regards to climate conditions, Venus will be displayed in her own case," Knothe says.
Venus (circa 1482) is among Botticelli's masterpieces from a series of paintings of the Roman goddess - others include The Birth of Venus and Mars and Venus - and one of the most treasured works of the Renaissance.
The painting is usually housed in the Galleria Sabauda in Turin, Italy, and depicts the nude goddess as a symbol of love, beauty, fertility and prosperity.
Little is known about the artist, who was born in the mid-1440s.
He apprenticed as a goldsmith before working with the acclaimed master painter Filippo Lippi. He was also patronised by noble families, including the Medicis.