Venus

This painting, titled Venus, explores themes of heartbreak, intimacy, and lost love. I drew inspiration from Venus of Urbino by 16th-century Italian painter Titian, as well as Olympia by Impressionist Édouard Manet. The historical archetype of the reclining nude female figure is turned on its head by putting the woman in the dominant artist’s position and a man in the position of the nude figure. The gaze in his eyes captures a moment of intimate trust and emotional burden that is shared between viewer and subject.