like the primavera, the birth of venus is also associated with the concept of humanitas, or virtuous humanity, a theory developed by marsilio ficino in a letter to the young lorenzo. according to the interpretation by ernst gombrich, the work depicts the symbolic fusion of spirit and matter, the harmonious interaction of idea and nature. nevertheless, the interpretations of this painting of extraordinary visual impact are numerous and diverse. the divine ethereal figure has been viewed as an allegorical representation of humanitas upon her arrival to florence, while the nymph holding out the cloak of flowers for the goddess may perhaps be identified as flora, the same depicted in this masterpiece's twin, the primavera, where she may be seen instead as the personification of the city of florence.