Aphrodite/Venus

Agnolo Bronzino, Venus, Cupid, Folly, and Time, c. 1545, oil on wood, 146 x 116 cm, National Gallery, London

Aphrodite (Greek) or Venus (Roman) is the goddess of beauty and love.  She was born from the sea, and was judged by Paris to be the most beautiful goddess and awarded the golden Apple of Discord.  Though she married Hephaestus/Vulcan, she had many lovers, most notably Ares/Mars and Adonis.  She is also the mother of Eros/Cupid.

Aphrodite/Venus has many attributes.  Those not seen here include sparrows, rabbits, and swans.  She is commonly depicted being born from the sea (often on a shell); with Ares/Mars (sometimes being caught by her husband); or with Hera/Juno and Athena/Minerva in the Judgment of Paris.