Analysis Of Venus At Vulcan's Forge By Francois Boucher

Venus at Vulcan’s Forge by Francois Boucher is currently located the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. It was completed in 1769 using oil paints on canvas. The scene of this painting comes from Virgi’s The Aeneid, where Venus urges Vulcan to forge weapons for her son to fight against the Greeks. Boucher’s use of color, contrast, balance, and implied lines encapsulates the interaction between the different figures in the piece, which lead to dynamic and enthralling interpretation. There are various figures in the painting, but the most prominent are Venus and Vulcan. Venus and Vulcan’s interaction is the focal point because the viewers’ gaze is immediately drawn to them due to the lighter values they are painted in. In contrast, the rest of the painting are darker tones. Additionally, Venus’ warm pink dress against the cool blue of the sky gives her a picturesque quality, making her more attractive to Vulcan and the viewers. The blue and gold sword Vulcan is holding add a nice punch of color to place more emphasis on the interaction between the two …show more content…
The implied lines are the anatomical positions of the figures in various motions. Venus’ foot is pointed toward the bottom left, which drawn the eyes to Vulcan. Then Vulcan’s foot and the little kid’s foot on Vulcan’s lap are directed toward the man in the bottom right corner. The man’s spear with the red feather helmet is aimed toward Venus again. Following that path, Venus’ head is sway toward the four figures at the top. By using implied lines, Boucher forms a path for the eyes to leap from one figure to another. The continuous flow makes the viewers stare at each figures individually and ponder how they contribute to the overall atmosphere Boucher is trying to convey. Furthermore, the flow also brings harmony and unity to showcase how the interactions between the figures are essential to the interpretation of the overall