classical statues clearly inspired sandro botticelli. for me, his birth of venus is the purest expression of renaissance beauty. the goddess of love, born from the foam of a wave, is just waking up. botticelli combines the beauty of nature and the human body. the hands, wings, and robe mingle with the wind. with venus' flyaway hair, the airy spaciousness of the distant horizon, and the flowers, caught at the peak of their beauty, tumbling in slow motion, the world itself is fresh and newborn. botticelli's primavera, springtime, shows the renaissance finally in full bloom. the warm winds blow in, causing flora to sprout flowers from her lips. meanwhile, the figure of spring spreads petals from her dress. the three graces dance. a blindfolded cupid happily sprays his little arrows, and in the center stands a fertile venus, the classical goddess of love. >>> this week on moyers & company, "facing evil" with maya angelou. >> they laugh to shield their crying. they shuffled through their dreams. they stepped 'n fetched a country and wrote the