이탈리아 르네상스 미술에 나타난 비너스로서 ‘위대한 어머니 여신’ 연구

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze and compile different representations of Venus as Great Mother Goddess in art during the Renaissance. Statues of Mother Goddess had been created and worshipped as the supreme god since the Old Stone Age, but she was reduced to Venus, a goddess that simply symbolizes sexuality, during the Renaissance. Mother Goddess was worshipped as the origin of humankind in the ancient matrilineal time, but her role was reduced by male gods (particularly by male-dominated Christianity in the Middle Age) with a transition into a patrilineal society. As such, it will be interesting from the perspective of iconographic analytics to look into how Mother Goddess was represented in art during the Renaissance. In terms of iconography and analytic psychology, this paper is aimed at highlighting femininity of Mother Goddess, which has been overlooked or concealed, based on the image of Mother Goddess as the archetype of humankind. To this end, this paper employs theories of Erwin Panofsky, Erich Neumann and Marsilio Ficino. This paper will first seek to find the connection between Venus and Great Mother Goddess in works of Botticelli and Tiziano. Second, this paper will highlight the double postures of Venus and the iconic meaning of Great Mother Goddess. Lastly, this paper will discuss the statue created by Buonarroti Michelangelo and installed at a chapel of the Medici family and its relationship between Venus-Mother Goddess. In conclusion, it is found that Mother Goddess suppressed by male gods and reduced to the goddess of love and sexuality is Venus. Mother Goddess during the Renaissance continued to remain as Venus due to Neoplatonism.