Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus has been recreated in Glasgow’s west end—though, given the chilly climate, it may turn out to be the death of Venus
Photo: Lidl
There’s Botticelli and then there’s Bottlecelli. Get ready for a 21st-century Old Master of shopping, courtesy of the supermarket chain Lidl, which commissioned a new version of The Birth of Venus (around 1485) made from… bottle tops. The permanent 25ft-high mural, unveiled in the west end district of Glasgow, is made of 253,000 plastic bottle caps recycled through Lidl’s return scheme. (Until August, shoppers will receive 5p for each item they return.) The piece, which has the Bottlecelli moniker, was made by the artist Smug and the street art organisation Yardworks. Smug has gained notoriety for his imposing, lifelike pieces dotted around the city, including an eye-popping image of the television character Rab C. Nesbitt, which was unveiled on the façade of a barber shop late last year, giving Glaswegians a smile.