Goddesses of beauty in mythology
Aphrodite, Venus and Helen: As symbols of beauty, they have inspired paintings since Antiquity.
Hathor
One of the most ancient goddesses of Egypt, Hathor stands for sexuality, drunkenness and dance. As a goddess of love and beauty, she is an early version of the Greeks' Aphrodite and the Romans' Venus; they all embody the archetype of the "original mother." Hathor was also worshiped as a fertility deity who protected women during childbirth.
Aphrodite
Studies have found that certain female features are universally perceived as being more physically attractive. Facial symmetry is one of them, as well as a youthful feminine appearance. Aphrodite, the Greek goddess associated with love, passion and procreation, symbolizes the classical representation of beauty.
Venus
The Romans' equivalent to the Greeks' Aphrodite is Venus. One of the most famous depictions of the goddess is "The Birth of Venus," by Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510). His portrayal of the newly-born goddess in a shell was revolutionary; having a female nude as the central focus of a painting was unprecedented in art since classical antiquity.
Sleeping Venus
Italian Renaissance painter Giorgione introduced with his "Sleeping Venus" from 1510 the motif of "the reclining female nude," which would inspire painters for centuries to follow. The soft wavy lines of the landscape reflect the smooth contours of the body of the goddess. While Botticelli's painting suggests wind and youthful freshness, Giorgione's depiction focuses on harmonious charisma.
Venus of Urbino
A student of Giorgione, Titian created 30 years later his "Venus of Urbino," which shows a nude young woman reclining in a similar position to the "Sleeping Venus," but with her eyes open, on a couch in a Renaissance palace. While art historians all agree that the painting has a powerful erotic charge, there are various interpretations as to what led Titian to create it.
The beautiful Helen
Irresistible to every man, Helen of Troy is said to have been the most beautiful woman in the world, contributing to the fall of an entire empire. Homer mentions her in the "Iliad" and Goethe also integrates her in his "Faust, Part Two." This historical painting from the 18th century shows the daughter of Zeus on her way to Troy.
Freya
The necklace of Nordic goddess Freya reveals her social status. Unlike other deities of love and fertility, the leader of the Valkyries does not promote peace and harmony but rather stands for beautiful, combative women. The above depiction of the goddess from 1890 appears in a book by Scottish folklorist Donald A. Mackenzie, "Teutonic Myth and Legend."
Art Nouveau Aphrodite
Antiquity's ideals of femininity, with smooth young bodies, were still reproduced in art centuries later. German painter Ludwig von Hofmann revisited the figure of Aphrodite in this painting from around 1920, influenced by the Art Nouveau style.