 Most art historians agree, however, that the "Birth" does not require complex analysis to decode its meaning, in the way that the "Primavera" probably does.While there are subtleties in the painting, its main meaning is a straightforward, if individual, treatment of a traditional scene from Greek mythology, and its appeal is sensory and very accessible, hence its enormous popularity.In the centre the newly-born goddess Venus stands nude in a giant scallop shell.