Red Venus - Art

In Red Venus, a mysterious red planet hovers on the horizon. The planet, presumably Venus, as noted in the title, seems to be rising or setting, either coming up from behind the horizon or disappearing from view as the earth turns away from the planet. This unusually large figure of Venus dominates the sky in this painting, as it is the only heavenly body depicted in this piece. The sky belongs to Venus, which is depicted in this painting with an unusual red color.

Venus is not usually depicted as red, for it does not appear red from earth’s telescopes. Instead, Marsh is usually referred to as the red planet, because of its red color that can be seen from earth. Indeed, this is where Mars gets its name, the red color reminiscent of blood spilled in war, which is why Mars was named after the Roman god of war. Yet Venus is red in this picture, an interesting reversal that leaves the reader wondering and contemplating the meaning of this piece. Perhaps that is the greatest strength of Red Venus – the strikingly unusual depiction in this piece creates a sense of wonder in the viewer.

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