VENUS LIBERTINA

Venus is the goddess of love, and in her many iterations, she is often seen in reference to her counterparts. Venus Libertina (Venus the liberated) references her in her most powerful, and deadly form. This photograph follows in GDR's theme of reinterpreting mythic stories and societal tropes within this Superrare series, and the story of Venus is one of dignity, solace, and worth altogether whole, without the addition of any other. Venus Libertina is the mother of passage from this world to the next, filling us with love and passion in life and a solemn embrace in our passing. Venus holds an apple from her grove, grown on one of the seven hills of Rome, Esquiline Hill where a temple was created in her honor. This image of Phoebe (Venus) was shot by GDR in Brooklyn, NY in June 2022, and the background and props were generated in collaboration with AI and overpainted by GDR.