 Pliny also noted a second painting by Apelles of Venus "superior even to his earlier one," that had been begun by the artist but left unfinished.The Roman images in various media showing the new-born Venus in a giant shell may well be crude derivative versions of these paintings.Botticelli could not have seen the frescos unearthed later in Pompeii, but may well have seen small versions of the motif in terracotta or engraved gems.