page_title: Francesco Botticini
section_title: Legacy
hierarchical_section_title: Francesco Botticini / Legacy
context_page_description: Francesco di Giovanni Botticini, commonly referred to as Francesco Botticini, was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. He was born in Florence, where remained active until his death in 1498. He was probably apprenticed first to his father, Giovanni di Domenico, and then to Neri di Bicci, in whose workshop he is recorded from 22 October 1459 until 24 July 1460. Although there are few documented works by Botticini, art historians have assembled a considerable corpus of works attributed to him. His best known works are the Assumption of the Virgin painted for Matteo Palmieri in 1475-1478 for San Pier Maggiore, Florence; the Tabernacle of Saint Sebastian and Tabernacle of the Sacrament, both at the Museo della Collegiata in Empoli; and the Madonna Child in Glory with Saints Mary Magdalen and Bernard, formerly at Santa Maria Maddalena dei Pazzi, Florence, and now at the Louvre.
context_section_description: Francesco Botticini is not often included in the conversation of the masters of Renaissance art. However, his significant contribution to art in the 15th century formed a legacy that affected art in his time and in the contemporary world.
  Charles Darwent discusses Botticini's legacy in his article about the Rucellai altarpiece. The altarpiece, which was one unified scene created with a combination of multiple panels, is described as an engineering masterpiece as well as an art masterpiece. The uncommon painted outer frame gave Botticini the chance to experiment with his artistry and stray from the strict guidelines of the patron. This trend became popular with other artists in Botticini's realm of influence. Before this style of experimentation with the flexibility of the panels, artists were slaves to the carpenters initial construction of the altarpiece. Darwent believes that Botticini's new style of constructing interchangeable panels allowed artists to stray from the orthodox style of the patron and employed carpenter of the piece.
  Botticini also influenced the modern art world with his painting of Saint Sebastian, a Christian martyr who was killed with arrows because of his faith. In his painting Botticini depicts the Saint bound to a wooden pole, with arrows piercing his torso. In April 1968, Esquire Magazine imitated Botticini's painting in their cover shot of their article on Muhammad Ali, The Passion of Muhammed Ali. The cover was meant to relate the persecution of Saint Sebastian to the persecution of Muhammad Ali when we was stripped of his heavyweight boxing title for refusing to serve in the Vietnam War. George Lois, the art director of the magazine at the time, came up with the idea for the cover and pitched it to Ali. Ali initially liked the connection between the suffering of the Saint and himself, but initially refused to pose as a Christian. Eventually he agreed after speaking with the leader of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad, and studying a postcard of Botticini's painting for inspiration. The final product shows Ali with his hands bound behind him, arrows piercing his torso, his head tilted upwards in pain, imitating the Saint Sebastian that Botticini created.
caption: Francesco Botticini, St. Sebastian, Metropolitan Museum of Art
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