Botticelli's Venus as an influencer enrages the Italians

The Italian Ministry of Tourism thought it was doing the right thing. To attract foreign travelers to the country, he disguised, for the time of an advertising campaign, launched on April 20 and scheduled to last a year, Botticelli's Venus as an influencer. The icon of 15th century art, from the painting Birth of Venus, an absolute masterpiece of the Renaissance by Sandro Botticelli, dons jeans and a smartphone to visit Italy.

Alternately, the beautiful crunches a pizza to the fullest; takes selfies for his Instagram account; rides a Vespa. But on Twitter, the reactions were not long in coming. Very quickly, Internet users attacked this modern-day "barbie" who "ransacked Italian heritage". His detractors also point to a pile of clichés. “Only the mandolin is missing,” criticizes a political commentator. And to add: "which is a shame because it is well known that Italians play it every night after pizza."

Art historian and activist of Mi Riconosci, an association that "fights against all forms of exploitation and privatization of Italian cultural heritage", Livia Garomersini also did not appreciate the advertising campaign. In a statement last month, she said the spot "trivializes our heritage in the most vulgar way, turning Botticelli's Venus into another stereotypical feminine beauty."

Produced by national tourism agency ENIT and advertising group Armando Testa, the campaign would have cost 9 million euros, according to ENIT CEO Ivana Jelinic. She said the campaign was designed for overseas markets to attract young tourists. "We liked the idea that it would be a timeless work of art," Jelinic told the Associated Press, adding that Botticelli's Venus "seemed to us like this immortal icon that could represent Italy."

Not content with having transformed Venus into an influencer, it would seem that a few blunders are fueling the anger of the Italians even more. According to Associated Pres, in the promotional video, there are hidden images that of a winery that is not in Italy, but in Slovenia. The slogan "Open to Meraviglia" is also problematic. A curious mix of English and Italian as the conservative government of Giorgia Meloni seeks to protect the Italian language and make it a pillar of its culture.