Botticelli.

Essay by Robyngood September 2003

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Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi also know as Botticelli is known as one the greatest Florentine painters of the Renaissance. He was born around 1145 in Florence. He discovered his love of painting at a young age and attended the Florentine School. He worked with the artist Antonio Del Pollaiuolo. Botticelli adopted his sense of line from him. He developed a personal style categorized by elegant execution and he painted with a personal and poetic style. Within a few years Botticelli had the powerful Medici family as his patron. As a result he was influenced by the Medici belief, Christian Neoplatonism, which tried to reconcile classical and Christian views. Botticelli painted some his most splendid and mysterious paintings for the Medici family. In addition he was influenced by the early Greek and Roman culture, especially ancient mythology. As a result, many of his works focus upon mythological themes. He is most famous for these paintings.

Botticelli created his finest and most well-known mythological works for the Medici family. He brought together the expressive content and forms of paintings with those of the humanists' poetic culture commissioned by Lorenzo Medici. The Primavera is probably his most important. It was commissioned by Lorenzo the Magnificent for the wedding of his cousin named, Lorenzo in 1482. This painting is an allegory of spring, life, beauty and knowledge united by love. The imagery in the painting expresses the Neo-Platonic philosophy of love. Botticelli relates ancient Greek and Roman mythology with the present view of love and the marriage that will take place.

He creates the setting of a spring morning with the light shining through the tall trees, with golden fruit. The mythological figure the West Wind blows warm air over the spring day. Botticelli places Venus (Aphrodite) the Greek goddess of love into the...