Have I Mentioned....

... That I love this man? I couldn't agree more.

I love how he uses The Birth of Venus. I myself have struggled with the nude form and the possibility that I might tempt viewers to lust by drawing/painting it- puritanism is a sneaky thing unfortunately. Once it gets it tentacles in you it can be hard to remove. It's one of those things that is like a tree root- nearly impossible to completely pull out. I have fought and read and prayed and fought and read and prayed. But finally, one day in Florence Italy, God struck a deadly blow, and I feel like own little Puritan Tree is dying of some disease. Funny, there are so many ways that beauty wounds and kills, but that is another topic.
    Anyway, that blow was this:

Botticelli's Birth of Venus

I never really cared for this painting before. But that was quickly remedied. In my semester abroad, I saw many lovely things- but some particularly struck me, and literally hurt me and left me breathless. This was one of them.
    That blow, and this one:

Michelangelo's David. Also in Florence.

I didn't get to sit and draw from The Birth of Venus. There were too many people in front of it! (Grrr!!!) But I did get to sit and draw The David for about 20 minutes. I will never forget those 20 minutes. Ever.

Mary and art and nudity will never be the same. Thank God.