Sandro Botticelli: Primavera and The Birth of Venus HOME Botticelli - Primavera and The Birth of Venus Sandro Botticelli’s “Primavera” or the “Allegory of Spring” reveals a strange and ambiguous beauty. Together with other mythological and allegorical paintings, it was created for Lorenzo di Piero Francesco’s newly bought villa at Castello. The “Allegory of Spring” and “Pallas and the Centaur,” were painted in 1482, the “Birth of Venus in 1485.” For him Botticelli also executed the Dante illustrations. The artist relation with his patron lasted some twenty years, corresponding to Sandro’s most precious and characteristic work. In contrast, his relations with the ruling Medici, and especially with Lorenzo the Magnificent, are quite insignificant. Except the commissions for the Sistine Chapel, no others will come close in importance to those undertaken for Castello and its master. Sandro Botticelli - Primavera, 1482 Uffizi, Florence ”Primavera” is purely literary and classical.

Cupid, Venus, Flora, Spring, and Zephyr, actually all the figures on the right hand side of the picture, are borrowed from Lucretius. To confirm, we can read in the fifth book of De Rerum Natura a splendid passage in which Venus is represented as she who renews all life through recurring springs. “Primavera” is only less literary than the “Calumny of Apelles.” Its strange beauty is individual. The artist was absorbed in a dissolving Tuscan spring, resolving itself into a distant garden of Venus, an antique paradise, composed, after all, of dear, local Tuscan materials, and peopled by the little girls and youths of Florence, raised to a momentary divinity. The orange stand of trees seems an elaborated metal bas-relief, completely unusual for the Florentine art of the period, a reminder of a late Gothic decorative motive. The companion piece, the “Birth of Venus,” was created a few years later. According to the legend, the picture was painted for Lorenzo de’ Medici, and the figures are representing real persons.

It is said that Mercury is the unfortunate Guliano, and Venus the fair Simonetta, his love, who have sat for many of Botticelli’s pictures. Her transparent, fragile beauty is said to have haunted Botticelli for many years after her death. We do not know for sure if this is true, and it is possible that the relations between Giuliano and Simonetta Vespucci were merely ceremonious. What we know for sure is that Giuliano, wearing her colors as a compliment, won the midsummer joust of 1475. As the poets were glorifying the champion, she died, and the same writers took advantage in adding an elegiac note to their chivalric poems. The assassination of Giuliano himself, in the flower of his youth, gave pathetic credence to such rhetoric. Critics may prefer one picture or the other. Lovers of the fantastic, essential Botticelli, will prefer “Primavera” for the richness of its contents, the varied impressions it relays, and the general romantic treatment.

Botticelli - The Birth of Venus, 1485 Uffizi, Florence The more classically inclined will find a higher satisfaction in the simpler and more unified impression of the “Birth of Venus,” in the more advanced and purposeful rendering of the landscape, in its harmony of somber colors of gray, olive, pale blue, and rose, with fine tracery of gold, and in the melancholy of the virgin goddess. Motion, reinforced by the symmetry of color is the main impression one gets from “Primavera” and “Birth of Venus.” No other among the Renaissance painters has Botticelli’s grace and charm, none his lightness of touch; no one can portray wind and floating draperies and the feeling of air and motion as he does, and above all, none can infuse into grace and beauty that touch of yearning and wistfulness. And it is the finer use of brush in masses that distinguish Botticelli from Antonio Pollaiuolo. “Primavera” shows an amazing arrangement of line, and this may be said to be a linear quality. Botticelli was even named the master of a single line.

But he uses it to outline the figure contour, a fold or a hand, everything done with a unique rhythm, not equaled in the Florentine art. This movement is reinforced by contrasts as the shivering drapery of Flora, or the heavy folds of Venus’s robes, caught against the dancing forms of the Graces. The diaphanous nature of Graces’ vestments, when compared with the linear framework of the great and lovely picture, is akin of a cascade in a mountainous vale. Like in all other Botticelli’s mature works, especially the Vatican frescoes, we see a magic brush powerfully enhancing the value both of the expressive contour and of the dynamic line. Whether he is working on the classical, the allegorical or the Dantesque, he sees things in his own way. Sandro Botticelli was before all things a poetical painter, blending the charm of the art of poetry, with the charm of color of his abstract painting.

Primavera | artble.com Primavera Primavera Sandro Botticelli Primavera, the largest mythological painting of the Early Renaissance, is believed to have been commissioned by the Medici family and hung in the bedroom of a bride of one its members. As the years have gone by, many interpretations have been given as to the story behind Botticelli 's Primavera. This work has a humanistic nature and is believed to reflect contemporary cultural influences and express many modern texts. In his philosophical didactic poem, De Rerum Nature, the classical writer Lucretius celebrated the goddess Venus in a single spring scene. As the passage also contains other figures that feature in Botticelli's group, it is probably one of the main sources for the painting; "Spring-time and Venus come, / And Venus' boy, the winged harbinger, steps on before, / And hard on Zephyr's foot-prints Mother Flora, / Sprinkling the ways before them, filleth all / With colours and with odours excellent.

" Most analysts agree that the central theme of Primavera is one of love and marriage and a message that when these two occur in the 'correct' order they bring forth sensuality and fertility. Primavera Analysis Sandro Botticelli Composition: The painting is set in a meadow complete with flowers and trees. It shows nine figures, all based on a mythological text. The man on the far left is Mercury and he separates the clouds so that spring may come. Cupid is above Venus and is known for his lack of morality and his attempts to take apart marriages. Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, is in the center of the picture surrounded by the Three Graces. Venus is elegantly dressed and obviously reigns over the land. She is no longer the young girl featured in the painting Birth of Venus. Venus is the goddess who protects and cares for the institution of marriage. The myrtle plant surrounding her is traditionally thought of as the plant that represents sexual desire, marriage and child bearing. Venus supports the fact that marriage is where sexuality is experienced, not before, and the Three Graces also represent this.

They portray the female virtues chastity, beauty and love and their long, flowing coverings are characteristic of Botticelli's painting style. On the right, covered in flowers is Flora, the goddess of flowers and blossoms. The story about how Flora came into existence begins with her former self, Chloris. Chloris was in the woods when Zephyr, the wind god on the far right of the painting, found and raped her. To prove to Chloris that he was sorry for his violence, he married her and declared her Flora, the goddess of flowers. Botticelli depicted Chloris turning into Flora by literally painting flowers coming out of Chloris' mouth. In this small detail, Botticelli was seen to have followed the mythology stories very closely. The story of Chloris alone shows that this painting was meant to celebrate a marriage. The fact that Chloris was not the one to choose her mate reflects 15th century culture where women had very little control over who they wed. The celebration of marriage is also demonstrated by the garden bursting with fruit and flowers which symbolize the fertility expected in marriage.

Also symbolic of love and fertility are the oranges growing in the grove and the number of oranges Botticelli drew clearly represented the hope that this marriage would result in many offspring. Notice on the right side above Zephyr there are no oranges until the scene moves on and Flora is shown to be married and respected by Zephyr; only then will "fruit" be produced. The trees and fruit are mature showing that Venus has reached her own maturity. The land is being made fertile again after winter. Use of technique: Botticelli preferred painting in fresco or distemper but he was influenced by Pollaiolo. A talented man as well as artists, Botticelli saw nature through the eyes of a goldsmith and he paid close attention to detail in Primavera. Primavera Related Paintings Related works by Botticelli: Birth of Venus, 1486: The Primavera and the Birth of Venus paintings show two parts of Venus. Botticelli painted them to be companion paintings and hung in the same space and both bring across the theme that love triumphs over brutality. In the Birth of Venus, Venus has just been born and arriving on earth. The trees have not yet produced fruit.

The world is waiting her arrival. In Primavera, however, she is among large fruits and lush flowers and has arrived at a mature state. She is presiding over the same world in each separate work. Primavera Locations Through Time - Notable Sales Lorenzo de Medici Agnolo di Cosimo In 1550, Vasari wrote that a picture which, according to him, announced the arrival of spring was located in the Medici villa in Castello. In 1477, the estate was acquired by Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici, who was a second cousin of Lorenzo the Great. This is why it was long assumed that Primavera was painted for the fourteen-year-old Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco when the villa was bought. An inventory dating from 1499, which was not discovered until 1975, lists the property of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco and his brother Giovanni and states that in the 15th century the Primavera painting had been displayed in Florence's city palace. The work decorated an anteroom attached to Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco's chambers. Such large format paintings were nothing new in high-ranking private residences.

Primavera Artist St. Augustine Sandro Botticelli Sandro Botticelli was an Italian painter and draughtsman. During his lifetime he was one of the most acclaimed painters in Italy, being summoned to take part in the decoration of the Sistine Chapel in Rome and earning the patronage of the leading families of Florence, including the Medici. As mythological paintings entered into Renaissance art, Botticelli broke new ground with his work. He was the first to create large scale mythology scenes, some based on historical accounts of mythology. Botticelli chose to center such works on what the Medici family requested, especially the younger generation. In the period that Primavera was painted, religion was no longer the focus of an artist's work as traditions were forgotten and art took a new direction. Primavera Bibliography Botticelli's Birth of Venus - ItalianRenaissance.org Botticelli’s Birth of Venus Sandro Botticelli, Birth of Venus, c. 1484-86, tempera on canvas Aside from his painting of the Primavera, Sandro Botticelli’s other greatest work, done for the Medici family, is the Birth of Venus.

Unfortunately, we do not know for sure which Medici it was painted for, or which location it was originally hung in. Before considering the subject matter, it is important to take note of the medium. This is a work of tempera on canvas. During this time, wood panels were popular surfaces for painting, and they would remain popular through the end of the sixteenth century. Canvas, however, was starting to gain acceptance by painters. It worked well in humid regions, such as Venice, because wooden panels tended to warp in such climates. Canvas also cost less than wood, but it was also considered to be less formal, which made it more appropriate for paintings that would be shown in non-official locations (e.g. countryside villas, rather than urban palaces). The theme of the Birth of Venus was taken from the writings of the ancient poet, Homer. According to the traditional account, after Venus was born, she rode on a seashell and sea foam to the island of Cythera. In the painting we see here, Venus is prominently depicted in the center, born out of the foam as she rides to shore.

On the left, the figure of Zephyrus carries the nymph Chloris (alternatively identified as “Aura”) as he blows the wind to guide Venus. On shore, a figure who has been identified as Pomona, or as the goddess of Spring, waits for Venus with mantle in hand. The mantle billows in the wind from Zephyrus’ mouth. The composition is similar in some respects to that of the Primavera. Venus is slightly to the right of center, and she is isolated against the background so no other figures overlap her. She has a slight tilt of the head, and she leans in an awkward contrapposto-like stance. Botticelli paid much attention to her hair and hairstyle, which reflected his interest in the way women wore their long hair in the late fifteenth century. He gave Venus an idealized face which is remarkably free of blemishes, and beautifully shaded her face to distinguish a lighter side and a more shaded side. Of obvious importance in this painting is the nudity of Venus. The depiction of nude women was not something that was normally done in the Middle Ages, with a few exceptions in specific circumstances.

For the modeling of this figure, Botticelli turned to an Aphrodite statue, such as the Aphrodite of Cnidos, in which the goddess attempts to cover herself in a gesture of modestly. In painting Venus, Botticelli painted a dark line around the contours of her body. This made it easier to see her bodily forms against the background, and it also emphasized the color of her milky skin. The result of all of this is that Venus almost looks like her flesh is made out of marble, underscoring the sculpturesque nature of her body. Comparison of the Capitoline Venus (after the Aphrodite of Cnidos) with Venus from Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus”. The demand for this type of scene, of course, was humanism, which was alive and well in the court of Lorenzo d’Medici in the 1480s. Here, Renaissance humanism was open not only to the use of a pagan sculpture as a model, but also a pagan narrative for the subject matter.

Although the Birth of Venus is not a work which employed Renaissance perspectival innovations, the elegance of the classical subject matter was something that would have intrigued wealthy Florentines who patronized this type of work. However, it would not have appealed to everyone, like those who viewed the worldly behavior of the ruling Medici family as corrupt or vile. By the 1490s, the tension that resulted from the clash between courtly excess and those who wanted religious reform came to a climax when the preacher Savonarola preached his crusade to the people of Florence. One of the people influenced by the preacher was Botticelli, whose change of heart moved him to destroy some of his early painting by fire. ItalianRenaissance.org Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli at Uffizi Gallery in Florence Share The Birth of Venus by Botticelli The Birth of Venus is undoubtedly one of the world’s most famous and appreciated works of art. Painted by Sandro Botticelli between 1482 and 1485, it has become a landmark of XV century Italian painting, so rich in meaning and allegorical references to antiquity.

The theme comes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, a very important oeuvre of the Latin literature. Venus is portrayed naked on a shell on the seashore; on her left the winds blow gently caressing her hair with a shower of roses, on her right a handmaid (Ora) waits for the goddess to go closer to dress her shy body. The meadow is sprinkled with violets, symbol of modesty but often used for love potions. We can find clear references to the “Stanzas”, a famous poetic work by Agnolo Poliziano, a contemporary of Botticelli and the greatest Neoplatonic poet of the Medici court. Neoplatonism was a current of thought that tried to connect the Greek and Roman cultural heritage with Christianity. The Neoplatonic philosophical meaning is then clear: the work would mean the birth of love and the spiritual beauty as a driving force of life. The iconography of Venus is certainly derived from the classic theme of Venus Pudica, covering her private parts shyly. In Florence, another important work of art is the translation in sculpture of the same theme: the famous Medici Venus at the Uffizi Gallery.

The Medici commissioned the Birth of Venus, including the works Pallas and the Centaur and the Allegory of Spring at the Uffizi, and these belonged to Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de’ Medici, a cousin of Lorenzo the Magnificent. As Poliziano was a great poet of written verses, so Botticelli was one of the greatest poets of the line and the drawing. It is worth to mention the exceptional technique and the fine materials used to accomplish the work. The Birth of Venus is the first example in Tuscany of a painting on canvas. Moreover the special use of expensive alabaster powder, making the colors even brighter and timeless, is another characteristic that makes this work unique. Behind the interpretation of the painting as a tribute to classic literature, we can certainly read an ode to the wealthy Florentine family who commissioned the work: the beginning of the reign of love finally comes to Florence thanks to the Medici, their diplomatic skills and their vast culture. This way Sandro Botticelli gives the art history one of its most sublime masterpieces.

Rooms 10-14 are dedicated to works by Botticelli; you’ll also find his famous Allegory of Spring , or Primavera, in this large room. About Uffizi.org Uffizi.org is a guide written by a team of locals that love Florence and Art! We are not the official site (you can find it at uffizi.beniculturali.it ) nor do we have a direct connection to the Uffizi Gallery museum. Tickets and Tours are sold through third-party travel agencies. How to Book Wide availability of dates for Tickets and Tours Customer service by native English-speaking team Trusted booking partners to ensure high quality service The birth of Venus - Google Arts & Culture The birth of Venus Uffizi Gallery The painting was commissioned by Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de’Medici, a cousin of Lorenzo the Magnificent. The theme was probably suggested by the humanist Poliziano. It depicts Venus born from the sea foam, blown by the west wind, Zephyr, and the nymph, Chloris, towards one of the Horai, who prepares to dress her with a flowered mantle.

This universal icon of Western painting was probably painted around 1484 for the villa of Castello owned by Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de 'Medici. Giorgio Vasari saw the work there in the mid-sixteenth century – along with Botticelli ’s other well-known Primavera – and described it precisely as "showing the Birth of Venus." The old idea that the two Botticelli masterpieces were created for the same occasion, in spite of their substantial technical and stylistic diversity, is no longer accepted. However, rather than a birth, what we see is the goddess landing on the shore of her homeland, the island of Cyprus, or on Kithera. The theme, which can be traced back to Homer and to Ovid’s Metamophoses, was also celebrated by the great humanist Agnolo Poliziano in the poetic verses of his Stanze. The Venus of the Uffizi is of the “Venus pudica” type, whose right breast is covered by her right hand and billowing long blond hair partially shrouds her body.

The goddess stands upright on a shell as she is driven towards the shore by the breeze of Zephyrus, a wind god, who is holding the nymph, Chloris. On the right is the Hora of springtime, who waits to greet Venus ashore with a cloak covered in pink flowers . The seascape, stunning for its metaphysical tone and almost unreal quality, is illuminated by a very soft, delicate light. Like Botticelli’s other masterpiece, Pallas and the Centaur, the Birth of Venus is painted on canvas - fairly unusual for its time - using a technique of thin tempera , based on the use of diluted egg yolk, which lends itself particularly well to give the painting that aspect of extraordinary transparency, which brings to mind the pictorial quality of a fresco. The figure recalls classical sculpture and is very similar to the famous Medici Venus found in the Uffizi, which the artist certainly knew. The real meaning of this dreamlike vision is still under scholarly debate and investigation but is undoubtedly linked with the Neo-Platonic philosophy, widely cultivated in the Medici court.

Like the Primavera, the Birth of Venus is also associated with the concept of Humanitas,or virtuous Humanity, a theory developed by Marsilio Ficino in a letter to the young Lorenzo. According to the interpretation by Ernst Gombrich, the work depicts the symbolic fusion of Spirit and Matter, the harmonious interaction of Idea and Nature. Nevertheless, the interpretations of this painting of extraordinary visual impact are numerous and diverse. The divine ethereal figure has been viewed as an allegorical representation of Humanitas upon her arrival to Florence, while the nymph holding out the cloak of flowers for the goddess may perhaps be identified as Flora, the same depicted in this masterpiece’s “twin”, the Primavera, where she may be seen instead as the personification of the city of Florence. From this work emerges clear evidence of Botticell’s strive to reach perfection of form that could rival with classical antiquity. It is for this reason that the humanist Ugolino Verino in his work Epigrammata, presented in 1485 to the King of Hungary, Matthias Corvinus, likened the Florentine painter to the legendary Apelles of Ancient Greece.

Read more Sandro Botticelli - Birth of Venus - Primavera |authorSTREAM sandro botticelli - birth of venus - primavera Does not support media & animations Automatically changes to Flash or non-Flash embed The presentation is successfully added In Your Favorites . Views: This Presentation is Public Favorites: 0 Presentation Description An animation of the two of the greatest renaissance paintings in Uffizi, by Sandro Botticelli - The Birth of Venus and La Primavera. Including in the slideshow is his biography, his style and an interpretation of his paintings. Comments By: 1234_ (76 month(s) ago) By: Daperro (76 month(s) ago) Dear 1034. The music is from the film 'Romeo and Juliet' directed by Federico Fellini, in the 60s. It was composed by Nino Rota. The song is called 'Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet'. A variation of the song is credited to Henry Mancini, but he did not composed the song. He merely rearranged the song. Saving.....

By: Daperro (77 month(s) ago) Alternatively, you can download a version of this painting here. Daperro Saving..... Presentation Transcript Slide 1: Jerry Tse, July 2010. London. Version 1.0 Botticelli All rights reserved. Available free for non-commercial and non-profit use only. Advance automatically … also use [PgDn] / [PgUp] to move forward / backward. Most successful painter in late 15C, who painted Venus and Madonna equally beautiful. The Birth of Venus & La Primavera Slide 2: Timeline & his work Slide 3: Venus was born out of the sea foam, when Titan Cronus castrated his father Uranus. The severed genitals felt into the sea and fertilizing it. The Birth of Venus Slide 4: Venus The sea had just given birth to a full grown Venus, just off the coast of Cyprus. With help of a fair wind of Zephyr (the god of wind), Venus rode on a giant scallop as she came on shore. She was slightly aware of her nakedness and covered her beasts and genitals with her hands, a pose that dated back to the time of the ancient Greek.

Slide 5: The way that Botticelli’s Venus covered herself was derived from the Greco-Roman statue of Venus de Medici, which depicts the birth of Aphrodite. This was a reference of Renaissance to its ancient heritage. Slide 6: The expression on her face is one of serenity and peacefulness whilst bearing the unpolluted beauty of her sexuality. Slide 7: Venus (Aphrodite of Greek) is goddess of love, beauty and fertility. She always represented the two aspects of love, the physical as well as the spiritual aspects of love. Slide 8: Nymph An attentive nymph appeared with a gorgeous robe, embroidered with red & white daisies, yellow primroses and cornflowers to cover the naked goddess as she came on shore. Slide 9: A nymph was wearing a lavishly decorated dress and a garland of myrtle around her neck (a symbol of Venus). She had a branch of roses around her waist and cornflower on her dress. She was Hora, one of the goddess of seasons.

Nymph Slide 10: Chloris & Zephyr The entwined bodies and limbs of Zephyr (The West Wind) and Chloris (a nymph) flying through the air, as Zephyr blows a fair wind to carry Venus ashore. All around them are falling roses, as Venus came into being, according to the legend. Slide 11: Chloris & Zephyr Is the entwined bodies and limbs of Zephyr and Chloris shows a union of two people in a loving relationship? Slide 12: Botticelli’s Venus As compared to Leonardo’s man, Botticelli elongated Venus’ neck and gave her a smaller head and a slopping shoulder. This gave Venus the impression of a slender body. Venus shifted her weight well outside her left foot, as if she was falling out of the canvas into our world. Slide 14: La Primavera With Cupid shooting arrows Venus While the Three Graces are dancing Zephyr is pursuing Chloris .. as Chloris Is turning Into Flora In the garden of ..

and Mercury keeps the rain clouds away Slide 15: Venus & Cupid We found ourselves in the garden of a very dignified Venus with her son Cupid shooting arrows at the Three Graces. Although it was Spring, yet the trees were full of leaves and laden with fruits (golden apples?) and flowers. There are some 500 flowers representing some 170 species. Although she in the centre of the painting but she look more confidence and reserved. Unlike the ‘Birth of Venus’, this Venus has no sex appeal compare to the Three Graces or the attractive-ness of Flora. She raised her right hand. Is this a blessing gesture? Does she looks more like the Virgin Mary? What about cupid, representing baby Jesus? Slide 16: Three Graces The Three Graces representing beauty, desire and fulfilment. These sensual revealing semi-nudes were dancing in a circle, feeling the breeze from Zephyr, as indicate by wafts of hairs. Are the Graces in the garden celebrating Spring or female beautiful or the embodiment of love? Slide 17: Three Graces What intricate hair style? Slide 18: Mercury Was Mercury standing guard in the garden, if so why?

Using his caduceus staff, he was steering the dark clouds away from the garden or was he pointing to the fruit of a marriage consummation or fulfilment? Why was he included in the painting with his back turn away from everyone else? Was he the massager who bought us the secret knowledge of the past? Or as some suggested Lorenzo the Magnificent? Perhaps he maybe even a homosexual turning away from beautiful Graces? Slide 19: Flora Flora in her glorious embroidered dress stepped forward to sprinkle flowers, as she proclaimed the arrival of Spring. Flora was the rebirth of Chloris. It is the beginning of a new life. Slide 20: Flora Have you seen her before? Slide 21: Chloris & Zephyr Zephyr blue with sinister rode in a gust of wind pursuing Chloris, clasping hold of her. While Chloris with suspicious eyes was running away from him at the moment of her metamorphosis into Flora. Her breath began to turn into flowers. Slide 22: Chloris & Zephyr The contrast between the two paintings on Zephyr and Chloris can be more different.

On the ‘The Birth of Venus’ their entwined bodies suggests a loving relationship. On the ‘Primavera’ their relation is one of fear and violence. In the legend, Zephyr marries Chloris after raping her. It is a story of turning away from lust to a everlasting relationship. Is this a statement on political marriage? Slide 23: The first life-size nude for a thousand years or the birth of the freedom of expression Slide 24: Music ‘Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet’, composted by Nino Rota from the film ‘Romeo and Juliet’ directed by Federico Fellini. The End All these paintings share the same room in the Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Hit [Space Bar] for more slides below on :- Botitcelli’s Biography Botticelli’s Style A view on The Birth of Venus A veiw on La Primavera Venus vis Mary Women of Botticelli Slide 25: Fra Filippo Lippi teacher of Botticelli Botticelli’s Biography Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) “The Little Barrel”, was a native of Florence.

His real name is Alessandro di Maiano Filipepi. He was most influential painter in Florence, in the late 15C. He probably a student to Fra Filippo Lippi. Botticelli established his own workshop in 1470. In 1481, he was summoned by the pope to Rome to do a painting for the Sistine chapel. By the time he painted the Birth of Venus and La Primavera, Botticelli was at the height of his influence. Botticelli never marry and expressed a strong aversion to the idea of marriage, a prospect he claimed gave him nightmares. It is a popular belief that he was in love with Simonetta Vespucci (1453-1476), who became known as the most beautiful woman in Florence. When asked Botticelli said that he would like to be buried at her feet, when he died. His wish was fulfil some 34 years later. In later life, he was a followers of Savonarola, who ruled Florence in 1494 until he was overthrown in 1498.

He was known for his burning of books and paintings, against the moral corruption of the Renaissance Humanists. After that Botticelli’s fortunes and his arts never fully recovered. He finally died in obscurity and poverty. Simonetta Vespucci Slide 26: Botticelli’s style He style was deliberately archaic, rarely showed much interest in perspective as his contemporary. He painting was more decorative, poetic and gracious than real. His figures rarely casted a shadows. He used clear lines & contours, minimizing strong contrasts. His style was directly opposite to that of Leonardo’s ‘sfumato’ style, which used shading to give his figure ‘solidity’ and reality. Botticelli’s paintings (Life of Moses) in the Sistine chapel also demonstrated his clear visual exposition of narrative skill and theological subtleties. It is mainly due to his style, Botticelli went out of fashion later in his life. He was rediscovered in again in the 19C and gained popularity, supported by the like of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. His paintings ‘The Birth of Venus’ and ‘La Primavera’ are amongst some of the best well-known images of Renaissance paintings today.

Slide 27: A view on the Birth of Venus The interpretation of painting is a lot simpler compare to ‘La Primavera. The sea has just given birth to a fully grown naked Venus. She was bought onto the shore by help of Zephyr and Chloris. While aware her nakedness, she is not too concern, whilst a nymph rushed forward with a robe to cover the goddess. The most significant fact is that this is the first life-size (non-religious) nude painted in the West for a thousand years, since the Roman Empire in honour of Venus. Some critic saw this Venus as Botticelli’s challenge to the church and the proclamation of artistic and scholarly freedom, denied to them by the Christian Church. Although this maybe the ‘untended consequence’ of the painting, but I do not think this was his intention. Botticelli made most of his money from the Church by painting Madonna. Given what we know about Botticelli religious inclination, this is unlikely. If there was such an intention, it was statement of reconnecting of the Renaissance world to the ancient world, in particular the Greek, acknowledging their contributions to our philosophy, science and our arts. After the death of Lorenzo Medici.

The fanatical monk Savonarola rose to power in Florence with his fire and brimstone sermons. He encouraged citizens to burn all pagan works of books and paintings. Botticelli was one of his followers, perhaps a sceptical follower (?). His campaign to stamp out luxury and vice almost destroyed the city. Even the Pope ordered him excommunicated. The citizen of Florence rose and the fanatical monk was burnt alive in the Piazza Della Signoria. Botticelli has never recovered from this, his paintings became more apocalyptic and showed stylistic regression. During this episode even the Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael all painted safer subjects. But the flood gate has opened and the baton was passed on to others, in particular to the Venetian painters. In this way the painting became a milestone in the struggle of free thinkers against the restricted practice of theological doctrines. It marked the birth of the freedom of expression in Europe. Slide 28: A view on La Primavera La Primavera (Spring) is one of the most written about and most controversial paintings in Western arts. The difficulty in interpretation the paintings is not so much about ‘who were there’ but ‘why they were there’.

The different groups of characters seem to have no connection with each others. This painting was commission in c1482. It was the first time a pagan story had provided the subject of a major work in the Renaissance, celebrating female beauty and grace This is how I see the painting. It is a message (hence Mercury) of love (by the presence of Venus). Love on one level is the desire of beauty and fulfilment, (personified by the Three Graces). While Zephyr personifies lust and sexual attraction of love. The spiritual and physical nature of love combined, has transformed Chloris into the happy Flora, who sprinkling of flowers bought on the arrival of Spring, a season of renewal, as a new generation lives appears. Recently, a 1498 document was discovered in the archive suggesting that Primavera was commissioned by no other than Lorenzo the Magnificent for a loveless political marriage of his nephew Pierfrancesco Medici in 1482. Thus a painting started with a sexual violence ending in happiness on the arrival of Spring, became a comforting message to the teenage newlyweds. This painting is not the only example of a sexual violence commissioned for the consumption of a marriage.

Botticelli painted a weird series of four paintings, ‘Nastagio degli Onesti’ on a similar themes of sexual violence leading eventually to happiness. If this interpretation is true then Venus is the goddess of love as well as Madonna giving a blessing to the newlywed. Mercury could well be Lorenzo the Magnificent pointing with his staff to the fruit of the marriage. Originally, not only the painting was displayed in a bedroom. It was above a sofa. This position was confirmed by the sole of one of the Graces as view from below. Does this made the Primavera a high-class pornography? Slide 29: Venus vis Mary Venus was held in high regard by the Greeks and Roman. With the triumph of Christianity, she fell from grace. By the 14C, the sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti began to see statue of Venus, as work of “great perfection”. This was the beginning of the rehabilitation of Venus. In the ancient world Venus was worshipped as a god and the cult of Venus was widespread. During the Middle Ages, the traditional symbols, like her roses were passed to the Virgin Mary, whose role was utterly opposed. This is also true of her symbol, the shell.

The changing meaning of the symbols suggests the need of a dominant mythical female figures in religion (another example of this is the role of Pacha Mama and Madonna in South America), normally associated with fertility. In his paintings, Botticelli blurred the boundary even more with similar looking Venus and Madonna. Slide 30: Women of Botticelli Botticelli women were always beautiful with elaborate hair style, a pretty face and a slender hour-glass body. They also have a quiet and peaceful face, ideally suited for Madonna. His women were there for us to worship. Botticelli is painter of the perfect woman. View More Presentations BOTTICELLI's Three Venuses - Venus Iconography Venus Iconography Home ‎ > ‎ Connectivity Maps ‎ > ‎ BOTTICELLI's Three Venuses Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi, called Sandro BOTTICELLI (1445-1510), shares with TIZIANO Vecellio a universal popularity of prominent Renaissance painters who depicted Venus.

The latter was more prolific in his representations of the Goddess, but BOTTICELLI was the first to paint her near life-sized and naked, a generation earlier than GIORGIONE-TIZIANO's 'Sleeping Venus' and 50 years before TIZIANO's 'Venus of Urbino'. See Topical Catalogue 'The Italian Venus' Assumed self-portrait of BOTTICELLI, who did not write about his ideas on art nor about the meaning of his paintings. The five hundred years anniversary of his death was the occasion for scholars to reinterpret BOTTICELLI's superb paintings, many of them enigmatic, atypical and controversial. An earlier excellent synthesis of the many, sometimes conflicting, interpretations was published by Liana De Girolami Cheney (1). See below: Additional Information and References. Botticelli with Vivaldi's concerto 'L'Amoroso' YouTube Video La Primavera BOTTICELLI's extant oldest representation of Venus, draped in a Florentine dress of the period, is the central figure in the 'Allegory of Spring', known as 'Primavera', but many other titles (e.g.

'Court of Venus') and interpretations have been given. Venus is accompanied to her left by Flora and Chloris, seduced by Zephyrus; to her right are dancing the Three Graces while Mercury is standing further to the left; above Venus is flying Cupid. The large painting (tempera on panel, 203x312 cm), since 1815 in the Galleria degli Uffizi in Firenze, hometown of BOTTICELLI, has been seen as an allegory of life, beauty, and knowledge united by love, or of Firenze itself. The famous art historian Aby Warburg wrote his doctoral thesis in 1893 with the title "Sandro Botticellis “Geburt der Venus” und “Frühling”. Eine Untersuchung über die Vorstellungen von der Antike in der italienischen Frührenaissance", translated in 1999 into English as 'Sandro Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Spring (1893). The Renewal of Pagan Antiquity' (free download here ).

Warburg argues on p.130 "If the title of the work known as 'Spring' is to be taken from the repertoire of ideas current in the artist's own time, then it ought to be called 'Il regno di Venere' (The realm of Venus)". But the work’s precise meaning continues to be debated: according to a nicely illustrated article 'Spring mysteries: Botticelli’s Primavera' of March 20, 2013 by Artstor, more than 700 differing opinions can be found in literature. and myHistro BOTTICELLI, Sandro: Primavera (Allegory of Spring) - The original and its imitations with the location of artworks on the map Birth of Venus Most popular is 'Birth of Venus' or 'Nascita di Venere', also entitled 'The arrival of Venus' or 'The rebirth of Venus': a large painting (tempera on canvas, 172x278 cm) in the Galleria degli Uffizi.

There is no doubt that the central figure is Venus, standing in a scallop shell and blown ashore by Zephyrus and Aura; to the left an attendant (a Hora) is holding up a mantle to cover Venus. The scene follows the Homeric Hymn 6 'To Aphrodite ' but also the narrative of Hesiod about Venus' origin: she was foam-born from the sea, following the castration of Ouranos by his son Kronos who had thrown the testicles in the sea. According to Levi d'Ancona (2) Ouranos' genital was painted in the left bottom corner, hidden under the sea and foam, but disappeared after restoration of the painting. Two replicas of the figure of Venus by BOTTICELLI's workshop are extant and known as the Berlin and Turin Venuses (see the Connectivity Map below). There has been much curious debate whether the Venus figure in BOTTICELLI's paintings represents Simonetta Cattaneo, married to Marco Vespucci, or Fioretta, both loved by Giuliano dei Medici, the former his 'courtly' love (see below), the latter his wife Oretta di Piero d'Andrea dei Pazzi.

Giuliano was murdered in the Pazzi conspiracy of 1477 against Lorenzo dei Medici, il Magnifico, his older brother, and la Bella Simonetta died 23 years old in 1476 (see below Additional Information). Assumed portrait of Simonetta Vespucci: painting by the workshop of BOTTICELLI (tempera on panel, 82x54 cm in Städel Museum, Frankfurt a/Main). The provenance of both paintings is known: they were commissioned by members of the Medici family, and according to Levi d'Ancona (2), the first one for the birth of Giulio dei Medici in 1478 and the second one for the birth of Maria Margherita dei Medici in 1484; they were documented as early as 1498 and 1550, respectively, and were ultimately together in Villa di Castello, near Firenze, until they were transferred to the Galleria in early 19th century.

Venus and Mars It has been argued that the above paintings form a sequence of 1° beauty (Birth of Venus), 2° humanitas (Primavera) and 3° enlightened love: the third BOTTICELLI Venus, draped in white, in his so-called 'Venus and Mars'. This painting (tempera and oil on panel) has the typical size (69,2x173,4 cm) of a spalliera - a wall-panel placed at shoulder height in a marriage chamber, maybe as the headboard of the bed - now hanging in The National Gallery in London. However, this painting was not known before it was bought in Firenze by the English collector Alexander Barker ca 1868 - from whom is not recorded (see below 'Additional Information'). It is also not signed, but scholars never questioned the authorship of BOTTICELLI, or at least of his workshop.

There have been numerous theories, hypotheses and studies about the meaning of this painting, its title, its date of production (scholarly dates vary between 1475 and 1486, but ca 1483 is generally accepted) and, related of course to these questions, who was the commissioner or patron for this enigmatic painting? The latest, most interesting, study was published in 2010 by Bellingham (3) who stresses the gender-related multiple meanings of this artwork. Venus and Mars Music: "Havanavalse" by Jazabana Many art historians think this painting was commissioned by a member of the Vespucci family, because of the wasps, a heraldic symbol of this family, prominently depicted in the painting. Hence, once more the debate if the Venus figure represents Simonetta Cattaneo de Vespucci and if Giuliano dei Medici is depicted as Mars. This hypothesis is based on the documented fact that Giuliano participated in a famous Florentine joust or tournament of 29 January 1475 and had chosen la Bella Simonetta as his Queen of Beauty.

The armour of Mars in the picture is indeed typically the one used in such chivalry game-fight, but the whole composition with a naked, exhausted and sleeping figure of Mars, several little satyrs - not cupids - playing with his armour and teasing him, and above all, a superior gazing Venus is quite surprising for celebrating such a fight or commemorating the 'Platonic' lovers. The highly respected art historian Gombrich (4, p.50) writes: <That Giuliano de’ Medici...should have been portrayed in such a shape, and that Poliziano’s poem (La Giostra) should have been illustrated on this type of panel, would be without any documented parallel in the Quattrocento>. One could better think of a satirical joke as did Count Plunkett in 1900 <...who suggested...seriously that the picture's intention was satirical>, quoted by Gombrich (4, p.47, note 1).

But in the same note Gombrich dismisses the remarkable comments by J A Symonds in 1901: <The face and attitude of that unseductive Venus, wide awake and melancholy, opposite her snoring lover, seems to symbolise the indignities which women may have to endure from insolent and sottish boys with only youth to recommend them> and does not comment any further on the suggestion of Count Plunkett. Among several possible readings of the picture, Bellingham (3) proposes another surprising one: Venus becomes Eve with her gaze of knowledge, Mars becomes Adam who has fallen asleep after eating the fruit offered by Eve and the assault of the satyrs signify the presence of Satan. Bellingham has identified beneath the left hand of the satyr, hiding inside Mars' cuirass, a fruit known as 'thorn apple' or 'devil's-apple' which causes intoxication comparable to opium. This interpretation could endorse the suggestion of a satirical joke, taking into account the presence of the armour, which cannot be associated to Adam.

Read further Misrepresenting Botticelli for the modern era and An update on Botticelli's Venus and Mars Rubin (5, p.35) states: <Botticelli's painting does not illustrate a given story> and refers to another proposed title 'Nymph and sleeping Knight'. Schumacher (6, p.34, fig.21) provides an additional argument for this title: a drawing of a reclining 'Nymph' by Andrea del VERROCCHIO is a study for a tournament banner (Gabinetto Disegni e Stampe degli Uffizi). However, the female figure in the painting looks hardly as a nymph and a more appropriate title would be 'The Lady and the naked Knight' : this would emphasize the satirical or playful joke of the painting when compared, for instance, to a conventional engraving of Meister E. S. entitled 'The Knight and the Lady ' in The National Gallery of Art, Washington. There is another major problem with Venus in the title: there are no usual attributes of Venus at all in the painting.

Remarkably, these attributes of Venus are present in a painting by BOTTICELLI's competitor Piero di COSIMO (1462-1521), active in the same period in Firenze, and entitled 'Venus, Cupid and sleeping Mars' (oil on panel, 72x182 cm), dated 1490-1505, and now in the Gemäldegalerie of Berlin. The composition of this painting, almost of the same size, is like a replica of BOTTICELLI's painting, with reclining figures in a landscape. However, here Venus is naked with Cupid nestling in her arm, a rabbit at her hip, several more cupids playing in the background and two doves at her feet, and her attitude is totally different. This painting corresponds better than BOTTICELLI's one to an earlier (1460-65) similar presentation of 'Venus and Mars - lovers at rest - and putti' in a stucco mirror frame, attributed to their compatriot Antonio POLLAIOLO (ca 1431-1498), now in Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

Also of the Florentine School and attributed to Baccio BALDINI (1436-87) is a circular engraving, dated 1465-80, entitled 'Coppia di danzatori' (A pair of dancers, with music-making cupids and a pair of lovers reclining below), in the British Museum number 1852,0301.1. The reclining lovers are comparable to POLLAIOLO's 'Venus and Mars'. Both POLLAIOLO and BOTTICELLI are quoted to have been designers for the very popular prints of BALDINI. Another comparable work, the inside lid of a marriage chest or cassone (tempera on panel), is a reclining nude of the Florentine School (ca 1465-70) quoted by Rubin (5, p.33, fig.16).

Yet another hypothesis Starting from the plausible assumption that BOTTICELLI got the commission to paint a spalliera for decoration of a marriage or bridal chamber, one may guess that he was also asked to illustrate in this painting the famous chivalric love between Simonetta Cattaneo de Vespucci and Giuliano dei Medici. He was certainly aware about the Neo-Platonic ideals in the circle of his patron and maybe he got a 'programme' for this painting, drawn up by a humanist (4, p.7). His creation, however, was his own: atypical and controversial. HYPOTHESIS: the commissioner was not pleased with the satirical or comic joke and decided to hide the painting. Hence, it was not recorded in notary or death inventories and it disappeared for almost 400 years. The same patron gave a new commission to Piero di COSIMO, who painted a comparable allegoric picture, more suitable for a bridal room.

Gombrich (4, p.49-50, note 2) writes: <As both masters worked for the Vespuccis it is hardly surprising that Piero di COSIMO knew and adapted BOTTICELLI's composition>, but does not comment on the intrinsic differences between both works. It is significant that COSIMO's painting was already recorded in the 16th century, in contrast to BOTTICELLI's painting. Geronimus (7, p.92), in his outstanding monograph 'Piero di COSIMO: visions beautiful and strange' quotes the well-known artist and art-historian Giorgio Vasari, who described the painting of COSIMO in 1568. Geronimus argues <Piero's slightly later version may best be understood as a form of competitive imitatio...>. It is also revealing that two replicas with the figure of Venus and cupids, without Mars, exist (see Connectivity Map below). Of course, we do not know if this hypothesis is near the truth and there are many other historical elements we miss.

The notorious Fra Girolamo Savonarola of Firenze objected vehemently to the wedding chests (cassone) adorned with tales of pagan mythology : < ...And so the newly-wed Christian woman is more informed about the infidelities of Mars...than about the famous lives of saintly women in the Bible.>, quotation by Zöllner (8, p.132). Patrick NICOLLE (1907-1995), English illustrator of children's books, entitled one of his images: 'Savonarola berating Botticelli for painting the Birth of Venus' <...a great many ... depictions of nudes were produced in Botticelli's workshop...and these evidently enjoyed great success in Florence.> (6, p.236). Paintings with nude figures were certainly among those destroyed in the bonfires of Savonarola and his followers in 1495. BOTTICELLI's brother was a follower, but how was BOTTICELLI's own attitude ? We know that he painted only religious subjects afterwards and ended in poverty. He was buried at the feet of Simonetta Vespucci, following his wish...is said.

La Primavera, Botticelli: Analysis, Interpretation For analysis of other pictures, see: Famous Paintings Analyzed . Zephyrus grabbing Chloris, whom he ravishes and makes his wife. In remorse, he turns her into the Goddess Flora (pictured left). Analysis and Interpretation of La Primavera by Botticelli A masterpiece of the Florentine Renaissance , La Primavera was commissioned by the Medici family from a Botticelli (1445-1510) at the height of his powers. This complex allegorical and mythological painting brings together the elegance of Gothic art , the decorative beauty of the International Gothic and the humanistic narrative of the Italian Renaissance . It contains numerous references to classical and contemporary texts, and is open to almost endless interpretations by scholars and art historians. According to the Uffizi, it was probably painted to celebrate the wedding of Lorenzo Medici and Semiramide Appiani, which took place in May 1482.

Like his other work, The Birth of Venus (1484-86) - a companion piece which hung in the Medici's summer house - La Primavera remains an iconic painting of the Renaissance in Florence , and ranks among the finest of all Renaissance paintings . Botticelli trained under Fra Filippo Lippi (1406-69) whose style of expressive interactions between figures, combined with decorative techniques inherited from the Late Gothic period, is clearly evident in both paintings. Another influence was Antonio Pollaiuolo (1432-98), whose new style of muscular modelling was more sensitive to human anatomy and proportion. Mercury, messenger of the gods, guards the scene as the Three Graces dance. Renaissance colour palette . Specially Designed For His Client When Botticelli began La Primavera he had only just returned from Rome, where he had executed a number of fresco paintings on the walls of the Sistine Chapel for Pope Sixtus IV. (Example: Revolt Against the Law of Moses, 1481.) The successful completion of such a prestigious commission cemented his already high reputation, and led to more commissions from families in high society, like the Medicis.

It was during this period 1482-90 that Botticelli painted most of his allegorical and mythological works (Pallas and the Centaur, Venus and Mars, The Birth of Venus, La Primavera), which, incidentally, were not intended to be viewed by a large audience, but were installed in private rooms, and designed specifically to the interests of the customer. Botticelli's clients belonged to the humanist circle associated with the Medici Family, and so were especially interested in classical mythology and the study of antiquity. In 1919, the painting was acquired by the Uffizi Gallery in Florence . Although it was thoroughly cleaned and restored in 1982, the painting has darkened considerably over the centuries. Primavera - From Classical Mythology In La Primavera, Botticelli created a lively, interactive scene, based on several different sources including, Ovid's Fasti, a poetic calendar of Roman festivals; and De Rerum Nature (On the Nature of Things), a philosophical poem by the classical writer Titus Lucretius Carus (1st century BCE).

Primavera is one of the first known paintings from the post-classical period which portrays Gods and Goddesses life-size and virtually naked. Some of the poses and figures are derived from Greek sculpture , although - as is evident from the slightly elongated torsos and distended stomachs - they are reworked to reflect contemporary Florentine aesthetics . For more information on Italian art of the 15th century, please see: Best Renaissance Drawings and Renaissance Colour Palette . Venus The scene is set in the divine garden of Venus, the Goddess of Love, who is standing in the centre of the picture, set back a shade from the other figures. Close by, her companions, the Three Graces, are wearing diaphanous white and jewels in the colours of the Medici family. They are dancing, while next to them on the extreme left of the picture, Mercury - the winged messenger of the gods - is wearing a helmet and carrying a sword, enough to identify him as being on guard. He is also marked out by his winged shoes and his signature staff, with which he chases away threatening clouds. Overhead, Venus's blindfolded son Amor, aims his arrow at the Three Graces.

Zephyrus Meanwhile, on the extreme right of the painting , Botticelli has depicted two separate tales from classical mythology. Both concern Zephyrus, the god of the wind, who is featured with puffed cheeks and reaching for the nymph Chloris. In the first tale, Zephyrus falls for Chloris whom he forcefully takes as his wife. In the second tale, Zephyrus - as a mark of regret for his conduct - then transforms Chloris into Flora Goddess of Flowers and Spring. According to Ovid, he also gives her a wonderful garden, filled with flowers and plants, in which eternal spring reigns. Botanical Landscape The garden we see however, belongs to Venus, who raises her hand to welcome viewers into her kingdom. Her proprietorship is confirmed by the myrtle tree, behind her, which is one of her symbols. For reasons which are unclear, Botticelli painted a staggering 500 separate plant species in the picture, including some 190 different flowers. This one element alone has been the subject of decades of specialist cataloguing and research.

The figure of Venus (both in La Primavera and The Birth of Venus) may have been modelled on Simonetta Vespucci, the wife of Marco Vespucci. According to rumour, she was the mistress of Giuliano de' Medici, who himself is supposed to have been the model for Mercury. See also the Portrait of Simonetta Vespucci (1482, Musee Conde, Chantilly), by Piero di Cosimo (1461-1521). Neo-Platonic Love According to one expert, La Primavera may be an illustration of Neo-platonic love. Thus, physical love symbolized by Zephyrus is renounced by the central member of the Graces, who turns her back on Zephyrus and Amor/Cupid, and gazes at Mercury. The winged messenger is himself looking out beyond the canvas at the painting Pallas and the Centaur (c.1482, Uffizi Gallery, Florence), which supposedly hung next to Primavera, and which portrays the victory of virtue over lust.

If so, it must have been hung at a higher level than Primavera, as Mercury's gaze is directed towards the top corner of the garden. (Compare Botticelli's expressionist distortion of forms - the Florentine style - with the more naturalist contemporary painting Virgin of the Rocks 1484-6, by Leonardo.) Botticelli's Allegorical Paintings These pictures - Pallas and the Centaur (c.1482, Uffizi Gallery, Florence), Venus and Mars (1483, National Gallery, London), Birth of Venus (1482-3, Uffizi), La Primavera (1484-6, Uffizi) - mostly completed in the 1480s, form an unusually homogenous group, in both their narrative content and stylistic expression. In spite of numerous scholarly attempts by art historians, spanning the entire 20th century, to decipher the intricate set of figures and other symbols within these works, they remain a mystery.

One reason for this - aside from the presence of references to contemporary Florentine elements, some of which have fallen into total obscurity - is that they are a super-complex blend of classical mythology and modern textual sources, and rank among the greatest treasures in Early Renaissance painting . For many scholars, Botticelli's paintings are a lifetime study, so don't worry if you don't understand everything in La Primavera: just stand back and enjoy it. Explanation of Other Allegorical/Mythological Paintings  Sleeping Venus (1510) Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden. By Giorgione.  Bacchus and Ariadne (1520-23) National Gallery, London. By Titian. Birth of Venus | artble.com Birth of Venus Birth of Venus Story / Theme Hesiod Angelo Poliziano Montepulciano During the 1480s in Florence it was not uncommon for artists and intellectuals to gather together, typically around a powerful centre, such as in the courts of Princes or rich families such as the Medici's.

This new vanguard of men made it their mission to recreate the past and relive it through translating and comprehending the works of Virgil, Homer and Hesiod. It is said that every day Lorenzo the Great assembled groups of humanists, philosophers and artists to form a literary society who interpreted works and formed ideas that were then translated by the artists, painters, goldsmiths and musicians. The Birth of Venus was a theme launched by Lorenzo and it was he who had it set to verse by one of his favorite humanist poets, Angelo Poliziano. This filtered through to Botticelli and he scrupulously followed the text in order to design the artwork. Angelo Poliziano's stanzas were based on an ode by Hesiod. In the story we see the aftermath of Venus's creation, pushed along by the Gods of the winds, Zephyr and Aura, who, on the first day of Creation, elevated this shell bearing Venus' triumphant nudity from the unknown depths of the sea.

Approaching the earth over which she will assume her true role, she becomes suddenly modest, and notice the stance, which Botticelli borrowed directly from the beautiful examples of the antique, Venus Pudicae, that were being discovered at that time. For this modesty to take on its sacred nature, one of the Graces, in the name of all three, is there to cover her with her cape. The Graces have the privilege of covering Venus' nudity and transforming her into the mother and patron saint of all the forces of creation. Venus is in the process of landing. It should be pointed out that the shore she is landing on is very rugged and already has tall trees, both laurel and myrtle, and that the trees are crowded together, their foliage obscuring one another. There are several details that illustrate Venus' triumphant magnificence. Art historians know that until recently, this Birth of Venus had been lavishly covered with varnish, which means that the successive coats of varnish had completely opacified. The painting has been superbly cleaned, and today's viewers are able to discover a new Botticelli with pearly flesh, nearly translucent skin and the eerily green blue of the ocean.

Birth of Venus Inspirations for the Work Birth of Venus Sandro Botticelli It is in keeping with Renaissance era inspiration that one of Botticelli's most famous paintings represents not a Christian legend, but a classical myth - the Birth of Venus. Whilst the works of the classical poets had been known through the middle Ages, it was only at the time of the Renaissance, when the Italians tried so passionately to recapture the former glory of Rome that classical myths become popular among educated laymen. For the men of the Renaissance, the mythology of the Greeks and Romans represented a superior form of truth and wisdom. Whilst Botticelli carried out the artwork, it is highly likely that the commissioner (a member of the powerful Medici) provided the original source of inspiration and that either he, or one of his learned friends, explained to the artist what was the story, as recounted by the ancients regarding Venus rising from the sea. The story would have been seen as a symbol of mystery in which the divine message came into the world, and Botticelli has done his best to depict this myth in a worthy manner.

Birth of Venus Analysis Venus Botticelli's Venus, the goddess of love, is one of the first non-biblical female nudes in Italian art and is depicted in accordance with the classical Venus pudica. However, she is as far as a precise copy of her prototype as the painting is an exact illustration of Poliziano's poetry. The group comprising Venus and the Hora of spring demonstrates Botticelli's flexible use of Christian means of depiction. Birth of Venus

Question: Who painted 'The Birth of Venus' and 'Primavera'?
Answer: BOTTICELLI