Aphrodite
Aphrodite is one of the twelve Olympians and the Goddess of Love from the Greek mythology. The Roman Empire later adapted her into their pantheon and gave her the name Venus. The cult of Aphrodite was largely derived from the Phoenician goddess Astarte, a cognate of the East Semitic goddess Ishtar, whose cult was based on the Sumerian cult of Inanna. This lineage show the interesting overlaps between ancient cultures and their connection to each other. A few 1000 years laters and they are still here. Now restored and (again) in color! Powered by the new and advanced Adobe Creative Cloud programs for Graphic Design, over a decade of practice and a passion for history and mythology.
Artistical Background
Originally created by Hendrick Goltzius between 1595 and 1611 and colorized by Stephan Raymond Post in 2020 in a painstaking process of historical research and colorization. Considerable effort has been made to make the colorized image historically correct. This print is only available in limited edition.
The image of Venus holding the golden apple, which she received as an award from Paris for his judgment on the most beautiful woman, is a modernized version of Hendrick Goltzius' 1611 projection of the goddess Aphrodite. Stephan Raymond Post restored, upscaled and colorized the original image in 2020, putting considerable effort into making it historically accurate.
How it was made
The artwork featuring the Goddess of Love, Aphrodite, is a beautiful tribute to Greek mythology and the masterful craftsmanship of Hendrick Goltzius. The use of colors in this artwork is particularly noteworthy, as each color was carefully chosen to reflect Aphrodite's association with love, beauty, and fertility.
To create Aphrodite's skin color, images of the planet Venus were used and through a process of screening, overlaying, subtracting, and differencing the colors of the planet to achieve a violet, almost purple-ish tone. The spots on her skin are meant to represent the storms and marks on the planet Venus, giving her skin tone a celestial quality.
In contrast, Eros/Cupid, the son of Aphrodite, has a slightly more red skin tone, created using a mix of the planet Mars and Venus. This combination of colors is a representation of the fact that Ares, who is associated with the planet Mars, is the father of Eros. Thus, images of the planet Mars with it rich iron-oxide red surface were used for the colors of Eros/Cupid.
Aphrodite's radiant blond hair with a gloss of strawberry red is achieved by using photographs of strawberries to give her hair the reddish and radiant glow. The result is truly eye-catching. The silver tiara and silk white robe worn by Aphrodite bring out further associated colors, while her face and neck have been given a deeper shadow to create a more elegant appearance.
Finally, the top of the image has been heightened and bending rays of light added to give the effect of the Goddess and her son walking out of the frame with the Golden Apple of Paris she won for being the most beautiful of all the Gods. This added touch is a beautiful representation of the mythology surrounding Aphrodite and her son.
Overall, this artwork is a stunning tribute to Greek mythology and the craftsmanship of Hendrick Goltzius. The attention to detail, particularly in the use of colors, shows passion and dedication as the original work deserved. The result is a beautiful piece of art that captures the essence of the Goddess of Love, Aphrodite, and her son Eros/Cupid.
The original etch made by the Dutch draftsman and painter Hendrick Goltzius in 1611 was almost characteristically small in size. The original work is 18.6 x 26.4cm and without color.
History
Hendrick Goltzius was a German-born Dutch printmaker, draftsman, and painter. He was the leading Dutch engraver of the early Baroque period, or Northern Mannerism, lauded for his sophisticated technique, technical mastership and "exuberance" of his compositions. According to A. Hyatt Mayor, Goltzius "was the last professional engraver who drew with the authority of a good painter and the last who invented many pictures for others to copy". In the middle of his life he also began to produce paintings.
A digital print was made accessible by the Rijksstudio of the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands. With thousands of etches and drawings made available for download, many under the Public Domain CC Commons License. Making it possible for artists to have a go at it. The etch of Aphrodite by Hendrick Goltzius has been ‘brought back to life’. As with many of the other and upcoming etches in color.
About 409 years later the old artwork is enlarged, enhanced and colorized into an amazing life-size work of color and history.
Name | Aphrodite & Eros |
Artist | SRP |
Type | Graphic Design |
Style | Colorization |
Sizes | 6/7 prints available |
Year | 2020 |
Edition | 1st |
Signature | On the backside |
Extra | 1611 Mini-print |
