3. Description (perceptual content manifestation):

In The Birth of Venus , there is a shore line; the earth, to the right, forms inlets and points; there are some trees; a river, in the lowest part, flows towards the white-capped sea, which occupies the major part of the surface. In this space there are four characters of human aspect, which I will describe from left to right, always with reference to the viewer.

Two entwined, winged beings flying from the upper left corner; the one on the left, of a rougher, darker aspect, is blowing hard; the other, fair and delicate, blows softly; their hair and the robes (blue and brown) that cover them are waving and floating; the blond figure embraces the waist of the other, who sustains the former with his right arm; it is not possible to discern the sex of these figures, although the darker seems masculine and the fairer feminine. The characters are contradictory due to their attitudes, breaths and the colors of the robes which cover them; but they advance united blowing on the woman who occupies the central position.

In the middle there is a nude woman standing on a conch shell; she has her right hand on her breast and with her left she holds the abundant locks of her blond hair with which she covers her pubes. Her thoughtful head is inclined somewhat to the left. The shell is large, its serrated edge and the relief of its furrows can be distinguished.

Farther to the right, a character of feminine aspect comes forward towards the shore. She wears a sort of tunic, with a flower design: a triple stem with three Florentine rose buds each; she is girdled with flowering branches of this plant and at the neck she wears a garland of leaves; she is barefooted. She has long flowing hair, partly braided, partly loose, indicating her movement. The mantle which she carries is of a rosy background, with a border and embroidered with flowering shrubs. While the air sent by the figures on the left makes the mantle undulate, they, in turn, are pelted by a little cloud of Florentine roses which comes from Earth.