This image created by the street artist Banksy, is a recontextualised painting of Diego Velazquez’s The Rokeby Venus. Banksy’s representation of this famous painting differs however by the reflection in the mirror. Similarly the mirror reflects the face of Venus the Goddess of Love and Beauty; however Banksy’s interpretation suggests that Venus is recuperating after a cosmetic procedure that has been performed on her nose. Therefore Banksy’s version has been greatly influenced by contemporary culture and the modern practice of cosmetic surgery, which people undertake to achieve what today is considered beauty. This unlike in the original painting in which Venus’s beauty was purely suggested by her exposed femininity and sensual pose. Banksy is aiming to communicate our society’s obsession with cosmetic surgery by comparing it to a past society in which beauty was observed in a completely different context. In this image the concept of cosmetic surgery is portrayed through humour as the thought of Venus undertaking such a procedure in order to enhance her appearance seems completely absurd and unnecessary, therefore Banksy has deliberately mocked the trend for cosmetic surgery. The concept in which Banksy is aiming to convey is more easily recognised by an audience that is familiar with Diego Velazquez’s original painting and can therefore uncover the differences between Banksy’s recontextualised version and the original. Banksy’s use of the same media produces an almost carbon copy of the original outlining the direct link between the two art works.
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