Being Venus: An Alternative Beauty
Graduation Date
Fall 2008
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Document Form
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Program Name
Humanities
First Reader
Joan Baranow, PhD
Second Reader
Leslie Ross, PhD
Abstract
The story takes its cue from La Bella Simonetta as rendered by Botticelli in his famous painting, The Birth of Venus. Art historians have long debated the presence of several decidedly masculine characteristics in this likeness of a graceful female form. The novel posits an intriguing explanation for the mystery—what if Simonetta Cattaneo Vespucci, the muse of the Italian Renaissances Golden Age and model of Ideal Beauty, were in fact intersexual (hermaphrodite)? By bestowing on the central character the complex gender duality of intersexuality, many avenues are opened for broader exploration of the mores of this group of teenaged power players in the Medici circle -- ranging from sexual polities to the influence of Humanism. Being Venus VW introduces 1ess commonly-known information about the court of Lorenzo “The Magnificent,” its business dealings, and interpersonal relationships by integrating traditional research in art history and multiple other Humanities disciplines and present it with the creative license of a fictional work.