'The Mirror Of Venus' (1898) is another Burnes-Jones painting, but this one's a two-fer; inspiring not just one, not eight, but two whole PeaRafflePie pictures. As it's an ensemble piece I was a little spoilt for choice when it came to picking a lady. The obvious focal one is Venus herself, standing there all blue and tall like a Na'vi. But she gets enough glory (what with the planet n'all), so I instead went for a couple of her maidens; one for her interesting angle/reflection, the other for the tones of her dress. I may go back and try the two blond ladies in orange at the side... but that's another story for another time on another blog in another dimension.
I'm sure there's lots to say about the use of the mirror as a metaphor for something, and the direction of the gaze being reflected; subsequently creating another gaze which in turn symbolizes something or nothing. But other people have already said all that, a lot betterer than I ever could.
Venus was the Roman goddess of love, beauty and fertility, and is a very popular subject in art, especially during the Renaissance. She's usually butt-nekkid with very long hair, which is handy for covering your doo-lally, Botticelli-style. I don't blame her really, if I were a Roman goddess forced to spend eternity starkers I'd probably grow it out freaky-long too... then fashion it into some kind of hair-parka / culottes combo.
Burne-Jones was a Botticelli fan, in 'The Mirror Of Venus' he tried to keep the Renaissance elegance but imbue it with a Pre-Raphaelite mood and colour palette. The women's expressions are also very PRB, i.e. slightly sad, wistful and detached. It's all very fantastical and dreamlike... I mean, for one thing, they are looking over a giant puddle on the moon.
... aren't they?
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