17 November 2024

On a sunny day this month I was about to enter the back of Carnegie Museum of Natural History (CMNH) when I saw Venus rising in the sky. Not the planet, this was Venus on her scallop shell floating on translucent white waves in the sky above the Carnegie Museum of Art.

Actually she’s an optical illusion that’s In, On, and Behind the window next to the Portal Entry.

On the Window: The Venus herself is a sticker on the inside of the glass. Her shape alludes to The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli, painted in 1485 (before Columbus!), in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.

Behind the Window: Venus appears to be floating on translucent white waves but they are actually the edges of two giant clam shells in the room behind the window, seen faintly because of bright outdoor light (click here to see the clamshells through the window on a cloudy day). This photo gives you an idea of the shape. (This giant clam is not at CMNH.)

In the Window: Venus appears to be rising above the Carnegie Museum of Art but this museum wall is a reflection in the window.

Frankly it took me a while to stand in the right place so the three images came together. When I examined the final photo, I decided that the reflected security camera to the right of Venus’ scallop shell was a nice modern touch.

If you’d like to see the Venus for yourself, approach the Portal Entry at the back of the museum (red arrow) on a sunny day. Venus and the clam shells are in the window to the right of the entrance.