Sandro Botticelli, Birth of Venus, 1482, 1984

Andy Warhol famously used silkscreen for both his editions and his unique works, often reproducing the same motif over and over again, thereby establishing serial printing and reproduction techniques in the visual arts and questioning the principle of originality. The resulting loss of a personal brushstroke is exemplary of the coolly distanced attitude of Pop artists and represents a striking contrast to the iconic Renaissance works he revisited for his Details of Renaissance Paintings suite. 
By reimagining Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, Warhol bridges a dialogue between the high art of the Renaissance and the mass culture of the 20th century. Warhol’s focus on Venus, a symbol of idealised beauty, parallels contemporary society’s obsession with physical appearance and celebrity culture.