“You, VENUS with a mirror”

after an inspiration for the upcoming exhibition in the KHM “TITIAN’S VISION OF WOMEN“
The upcoming exhibition “Titian’s vision of women” in the Kunsthistorisches Museum deals with the “new” portrayal of women during the Renaissance in the middle of the 16th century. Titian’s intention to put woman in the foreground and to give her a position as an individual changed society’s view of woman and woman of herself.

She is shown as a goddess, saint or erotic woman; the male attitudes such as virtue, courage and determination are now also occupied by her.

Petra Stelzmüller  therefore uses Titian’s “Venus with a mirror”: a calm look, a relaxed smile and a very harmonious facial expression and processes the image digitally. The cut-out, limited with red markers, reduces the work to the essentials; at the same time, red-colored parts of words from various Titian’s picture titles are used. The wearer and viewer are asked questions about her emotional state.

The shirt is a statement for women who stand self-confidently in life and deal with their emotional states: You, VENUS with a mirror: Are you in the mood for love, jealousy or disguise today?

KHM Exhibition “TITIAN’S VISION OF WOMEN“ October 5th, 2021 – January 16th, 2022
Original picture by Tizian Vecellio (1490-1576), “Venus with a mirror”, oil on canvas, c. 1555