Scientists identify possible cause for Venus's squint in Botticelli's masterpiece

A new hypothesis suggests that the distinctive squint of Venus in Sandro Botticelli's iconic "The Birth of Venus" may not have been an artistic choice but a medical condition. Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and Rome Biomedical University propose that the model, Florentine aristocrat Simonetta Vespucci, suffered from a pituitary tumor.

Using a deep learning facial recognition algorithm, scientists analyzed five portraits attributed to Vespucci. The analysis revealed features consistent with a pituitary adenoma, a condition that can affect hormone levels and physiological processes. This could manifest as strabismus, or squinting.

Further examination of historical documents, including letters, points to Vespucci's early death at 23. Researchers noted symptoms described in letters about her final days, such as loss of consciousness, severe headaches, hallucinations, vomiting, and high fever during a ball. These symptoms align with a rapidly growing pituitary tumor, possibly a pituitary apoplexy (sudden bleeding or growth within the tumor).

The study also considers that stressful events or potential violence could have triggered a rapid decline in her health. The researchers believe that what was once interpreted as a symbolic or aesthetic element in the painting might actually be a depiction of a real medical ailment affecting the Renaissance model.

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In letters between Piero Vespucci and Lorenzo de' Medici about Simonetta's last days, it is said that she lost consciousness during a ball and then rested in a darkened room, where she suffered from terrible headaches, hallucinations, vomiting, and high fever. These are all symptoms of a rapidly growing pituitary tumor.