Venus with a Bird 1930

Mikhail Larionov brings us Venus with a Bird, a dance of ancient symbols rendered with modern simplicity. Here, the goddess Venus appears with a bird, laden with a sprig, hovering nearby. The bird traditionally symbolizes the soul, or spirit. The presence of Venus evokes the classical world, where she represented love, beauty, and fertility. Think of Botticelli's Venus emerging from the sea—an eternal image of feminine grace and the promise of renewal. The simple lines, however, remind one of the cyclical nature of these symbols, where ancient motifs are continuously resurrected and reimagined. Note the Venus's closed eyes, suggesting an inner vision or dreamlike state. This invites us to consider how archetypes persist in our collective consciousness. It is almost as if she floats in a timeless space, echoing through ages, our subconscious is engaged in a never-ending dialogue with the past.