Charles, Camilla and Diana in Modern-Day Botticelli
FJae
By Louise Barnett, PA
A modern-day version of a Botticelli masterpiece featuring the faces of
Charles, Camilla and Diana, Princess of Wales, has gone on public
display.
This re-working of The Birth of Venus comes two decades after Charles
and a young Diana were photographed alongside the original in Florence.
By simply changing the characters' faces, the work aims to transform
ancient myth into contemporary comment.
Artist Terry Duffy, who came up with the concept, said the oil on
canvas work was a painstakingly-created smaller version of the original
Botticelli.
The 80in by 44in work took artist Bob Goldsborough six months to paint.
It is part of Duffy's Allegory Series which reflects and comments on
contemporary events.
Describing the impact of the Venus allegory, Duffy said: "We all have
something to say about this story. We have all got opinions about it
and when we are confronted by this painting it shows you those people
within the visual relationship of the painting.
"You can begin to read into it some of the things that have gone on
or might have gone on."
He added: "They have all got their own agendas - every single
person in the painting."
The oil on canvas work depicts Diana as Venus, newly emerged from the
sea.
Charles and Camilla replace Zephyr and Chloris as they fly with limbs
entwined like a two-fold entity.
In Sandro Botticelli's 1485 original one of the three Horae, the
Greek goddesses of the seasons who were attendants to Venus, holds a
billowing robe towards her.
In the Conspiracy of Venus it is the Queen who holds the garment
towards Diana.
Finally, the painting introduces Dodi Al Fayed as Pan, messenger of the
gods, who appeared in another Botticelli painting called Primavera.
The Conspiracy of Venus, currently on display at 340 Old Street in
London, is on sale at an undisclosed price.
FJae
Jean Sue Libkind
And we can see this where?
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