Venus Crossing the Sea on a Shell

Venus, born of the sea, is depicted lying in an ample scallop shell, with a red blanket and white sheet, part of which acts as a sail, as she skims across the waves not far from the shore. Her provocative pose reflects that of the ancient marble Borghese Hermaphrodite (Paris, Mus�e du Louvre), a version of the Hellenistic composition much celebrated since its discovery in Rome in 1617-18.