Housed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, this painting by the Italian master Botticelli is an icon of the Renaissance era and one of the most famous paintings of all time. Depicting a scene from Classical Mythology, we see the birth of Venus, the goddess of love & beauty, as she arrives at the shores of the island Cyprus. She emerges from a sea shell with Botticelli clearly drawing a parallel between her and a perfect, untouched pearl from the sea.