Sandro botticelli biography timeline examples
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Despite declining public interest, Botticelli continued to paint until his death, maintaining a workshop and creating smaller works.
Botticelli's painting emphasizes how wrong slander is through both the allegory he depicts as well as the setting. Botticelli was influenced by Pollaiuolo's naturalistic renditions of the human body, and understanding of anatomy, which Pollaiuolo reputedly studied from dissected dead bodies.
In this way, Botticelli also refers back to the Gothic tradition that preceded the Renaissance, where emphasis was placed on symbolism and status rather than on realistic depiction. The nature of this task demonstrates how highly regarded he was around this time, and it was the only occasion he is known to have worked outside Florence.
Mythologies
A year later, Botticelli returned to Florence, to continue with the most prolific stage of his career.
It seems likely that the paintings were both commissioned by a member of the Medici family, but this is uncertain.
The Medici's Florence was a prosperous and permissive society that allowed culture to flourish. Intriguingly, the stance is so exaggerated that it is anatomically impossible, and the figure stands improbably on the edge of the floating shell.
The painting is celebrated for its beauty and use of mythology, capturing the Renaissance's fascination with classical antiquity. Venus, who appears in many of Botticelli's most famous paintings of the period, was an important figure for the Neoplatonists, representing humanitas - the development of human virtue, in all its forms.
Rather than representing a scene from a specific story, it is believed that Botticelli either presents the figures in this arrangement purely for aesthetic reasons, or if there was a narrative, it is unknown to us today. The elaborate architecture, designed to perfect Renaissance proportions, is punctuated by sculptures of both Christian and pagan virtuous figures, all of whom appear to be looking down on and judging the scene below.
There is an accusation in the Florentine Archives against Botticelli from 1502, indicating that he "kept a boy", which has led to speculation that he may have been gay or bisexual. A century and a half later, it was widely read and its importance was recognized. His work became iconic for its depiction of beauty and mythological themes.
Giorgio Vasari saw Botticelli as the epitome of the "golden age" of art achieved during the time of the great patron of the arts, Lorenzo de' Medici.
However, although he was famous during his lifetime, Botticelli's reputation suffered after his death for several centuries. 1474).
During the 1490s, the political climate in Florence changed significantly following the death of Lorenzo de' Medici and the invasion of Charles VIII of France.
Another theory speculates that Botticelli's career suffered after the Medicis were forced to leave Florence, and power was usurped for a time by conservative Christian influences that denounced the decadence of the former rulers and the artists they patronised.
It was not until the 19th century that his work was reappraised and began to be valued highly once more.
This time was considered the Italian Renaissance.
Though Venus is fully clothed having "conquered" Mars, the portrayal of her powerful sexuality is equally as enticing.
Once again, she stands in an exaggerated contrapposto stance, with one hand recalling the "Venus Pudica" trope and one pointing towards heaven.
By 1470, Botticelli had moved back into his family's home on Via Nuova and set up his workshop there. Vasari saw these works in Pierfrancesco de' Medici's villa and it was assumed for a long time that the works were intended for this site, but art historians are now uncertain about the origins and commissioners of these two paintings. His paintings represent the pinnacle of the cultural flourishing of the Medicis' Florence, a prosperous society that encouraged the progress of art, philosophy and literature.