Botticellis Spring
The
renaissance was a time of wonderful
art, though one artist in particular stood
out, that was Sandro Botticelli.
This man created some of the most renowned
pieces of art in European history;
one great painting was Allegory of Spring.
This mythological artwork was
an amazing change from the normalcy of past times.
Botticelli’s Allegory
of Spring, painted in 1482, is one of the most
remarkable and astounding
pieces of renaissance art with the wondrous symbols,
style, story of the
piece and also the intriguing history of Botticelli himself.
Botticelli
is considered one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance; one of
his
finest works was Allegory of Spring. Botticelli, originally named
Alessandro
di Mariano Filiapepi, was born in Florence, Italy in 1445. He was
nicknamed "Botticelli";
meaning little barrel, this name was originally
bestowed upon his older brother
but for some reason passed on to and adopted
by his little brother (4:68). He
was first an apprentice to a goldsmith,
though at about age thirteen or fourteen
he stopped training and traded to
painting. He was an apprentice to Filippo
Lippi. This man’s style formed
many of Botticelli’s early works. Botticelli
also worked with painter and
engraver Antonio del Pollaiuolo. Botticelli had his
own workshop by 1470;
there he spent most of his life working for many great
families in Florence
at the time, especially the Medici family. As one of the
artist in the court
of Lorenzo de’ Medici, he was immensely influenced by its
Christian
Neoplatonism (5:7). With this in mind he tried to reconcile classical
and
Christian views. Though working for himself a lot he was also commissioned
by
many others. He joined Perugino, Ghirlandaio, and Rosselli from 1481 for
one
year to paint frescos for the Sistine Chapel. Botticelli worked with
some
consequential artist of the Florentine Renaissance, which would shape
and change
his style of painting. Botticelli’s works are seen as a landmark
of high
renaissance. He created some of the greatest works of this time. His
early
pieces were mostly of the virgin and child (1:78). He first made a name
for
himself when in 1470 he was public commissioned to paint Fortitude, which
would
be hung in the Trade law court in Florence. One of his first real
milestones was
the creation of the Adoration of the Magi, which he painted
around 1473-1475.
This painting veered away from some of his earlier more
morbid content. This was
one of the first pieces commissioned by the Medici
family, who in this case gave
many guidelines for the young Botticelli to
follow. Botticelli would go on to
paint Portrait of an unknown man with a
medallion of Cosimo the Elder, in the
same time period (5:42). Then he would
create one of the most well known
Allegory of Spring, quite different
subject matter from times before with the
conceptions of mythological
characters and a defined plot. Then in 1481 he went
to Rome to work on
frescos of the Sistine Chapel ordered by Pope Sixtus IV.
After this he
went on to create the sister painting to Allegory of Spring, Birth
of Venus.
Botticelli continued to create heroic works of art portraying many
different
stories and characters. He painted an array of religious artwork as
well as
portraits and mythological pieces. He was a well-rounded painter who
will
influence the art world for centuries after his death in
1510.
Botticelli’s style of painting was a combination of the influences
of his
teacher, but the time and his own creative energy help determine much
of his
work. Botticelli was an apprentice to Lippi who had a huge influence
and him
defined many of his early works. Lippi taught Botticelli the concept
of drawing
outlines, this was to create the effect of transparency, and to
give the
painting a certain fluidity and harmony (2:69). A viewer can see
this in many of
Botticelli’s work including Allegory of Spring.
Botticelli was also influenced
by the Pollaiolo brother whom he also works
with. These men taught him emotive
force and also the usage of color. An
obvious idea, which can be viewed in many
of Botticelli’s allegorical
paintings, including Allegory of Spring, is the
greater amount of luminosity,
as well as a softer look of pride (2:70).
Botticelli wanted to accentuate
the elegance of the pose and the decoration of
the characters also. This
artist held a great adhesion to the neo-platonic style
of Marsilio Ficino and
Agnolo Poliziano. Not only was Botticelli influenced by
certain people of
this time he was also influenced by the early Greek and Roman
culture,
especially the ancient mythology. This is the basis of the work
Allegory
of Spring. The entire story line, characters, and style were partially
picked
up by these people. This was a concept new and different at this
time,
Botticelli did not only use it in this one painting it was also
widely present
in the equally as famous Birth of Venus. Venus, the Roman
goddess of love and
beauty, is featured in both of these painting,
representing the likeliness of
beauty and love as well as ancient Roman
culture and religion to Botticelli. The
concept of Roman and Greek mythology
entwined with some of Botticelli’s
Christian ideas creates what many
scholars call Christian Neoplatonism. This
would have a huge impact on the
style that Botticelli designed for this work.
Neoplatonism is the
backbone in this work by one of the most thought provoking
painters of the
Renaissance. Botticelli’s notion of replacing the
normal
Christian-Hierarchy-Portrait painting was remarkable (3:1). This
concept of
Christian Neoplatonism was new and conventional; Neoplatonism
is the collective
designation for the philosophical and religious doctrines
of the classical pagan
philosophy. These theories of knowledge are mainly
based on the ideas on
explanations of Plato. Neoplatonism seeks to locate the
One, or God in Christian
Neoplatonism, in the finite world and human
experience. This was and is a
complex and confusing way of thinking however
it was this that Botticelli based
many, including Allegory of Spring, on.
This concept really came into play
during the third century of Rome. It is
partly based on the Greek mythological
logic and religion with many newer
Christian aspects added upon it. This is an
ever-changing subject with many
different sects of views and new ideas forming
all the time (3:2).
Botticelli’s Allegory of Spring was painted in 1480 with
tempura on canvas.
This pre-Christian piece was one of the largest panel
paintings with
mythological themes. This painting has been in the Uffizi art
museum in
Florence, Italy since 1919 and was recently restored in 1982.
Botticelli
painted this in honor of the marriage of Lorenzo Pierfranceso de’
Media
and Seriramide Appiani. Most likely this painting was inspired by
Ovid,
Lucretius, and the great Roman poet Horace. The picture combines
the classical
Roman pose of antique statues with the more recent gothic
ideas. This painting
is overwhelmed with character and ancient mythology
creating one of the most
prized paintings of the great Italian Renaissance.
The inspiration for this
painting could have come from reading the Latin
poets Ovid’s Fasti, but it is
more likely that the inspiration came from
Verses for the Joust by Agnolo
Poliziano. It was in this, which the
writer describes a meadow where grasses and
plants grew, where the winds blew
and where "Happy Spring was ever present".
This poem refers to the
neoplatonic thoughts seen throughout the painting (5:7).
This is a very
complex and intricate painting with an intensely interesting
plot. This
painting is set in Venus’ divine garden with a flower filled meadow
and a
shady grove in the background. There are numerous slender trees and
many
mythological characters in the scene. To the left end of the painting
is
Mercury, the son of Jupiter and the nymph Maia. Virgil’s Aeneid could
have
inspired this young traveler with hat, sword and winged sandals.
Mercury, who is
the herald of Jove, is portraying the dispersing of winter
winds and the renewal
of spring. Just next to Mercury are the three graces
dancing in a circle. One
touches cupid above as one turns towards Mercury.
Notice the linearity of the
outlines of one of the graces that creates a
feeling of spirituality with their
features and shape (2:68). The cupid that
is motioned to is Amor, the god of
passionate love. Amor, or Eros to the
Greek, is the winged son of Mars and
Venus. This can be seen by the bow,
which he carries and also the arrows, quiver
and blindfold. Just below Amor
is the goddess of love and beauty, Venus. Venus
extends her hand toward the
three graces to modulate their dance. On the far
right is the icy blue god of
the west winds, Zephyrus. He embraces Chloris; he
is transforming her from
nymph into Flora the goddess of spring; Flora is the
figure between Chloris
and Venus. This painting is Botticelli’s conception of
spring in a reverse
pagan concept. One of Botticelli’s greatest additions to
the artwork he
created was the amazing symbolism within. The symbolic meaning to
this
painting is while spring awakens the world to the beauty, Venus uses love
to
turn the human heart to truths divine (1:78). This painting is mostly
based
on the beauty and renewal of life in spring, it also focus’ on love.
Venus,
the center point of this painting stirs the flowers to life with her
warm winds.
Venus is the symbol of spring this is seen by the adornment
of flowers by the
graces. She, not only a symbol of spring, represents
civilization, governing the
world and the actions of men. There are many
interpretations of Venus, another
idea is the portrayal of spiritual love,
with above her, a bandaged Cupid in the
process of shooting one of his
arrows. Further to the left are the three graces,
their fingers entwined,
their hair delicately waving and their transparent
dresses, they are dancing
harmoniously, while Mercury dispels the clouds from
the flower filled garden,
with his caduceus. This wooden stick with two snakes
twisting around it, is a
symbol of medicine (3:2). Mercury himself is not merely
a handsome youth but
a revealer of the truth as he touches the clouds to unveil
the mysteries
(1:78). The characters in this piece have a great depiction of the
thoughts
of Botticelli. The painting itself has many underlying meanings,
also.
For example, the blossoming gardens represent the metaphor for the
fertility of
Flora. Chloris and Flora are the same people in this
painting though they are
portraying the metamorphosis they she is going
throw. The graces may symbolize
liberty. These additions to the painting that
Botticelli made had a huge
influence on the way many people perceive him and
his work. This painting’s
theme is mainly based on the vivid symbols and
representations. Botticelli had a
true gift of including and understanding
all aspect of artwork when creating
this piece. In Birth of Venus much of the
same symbolism carries over to add
interest and a personal touch to his work.
Many of Botticelli’s successors owe
much to this man who paved a wonderful
road to the use of symbolism. The
symbols, the story line, the style of this
artwork all come together to form a
harmonious conception that the renewal of
spring brings. Botticelli’s every
brush stroke signifies the beauty and
mysteriousness of the mythological story
depicted in this piece. Botticelli
brings to life the peacefulness and abundance
of new life to Venus’ garden.
This painting is truly a highlight of
Renaissance culture and art at its
peak, with the fluid brush strokes, the
statuesque characters and the true
meaning of spring brought together.
Bibliography
1. Canto, Lillio.
The Renaissance, the Invention of Perspective. New York:
Chelsea House
Publishing, 1994 2. Korn, Irene. Great Masterpieces of the World.
New
York: Robert M. Tod, 1997 3. Neoplatonism
www.connect.net/ron/neoplatonism.html
4. Setton, Kennith. The
Renaissance, Maker of Modern Man. Washington DC: 1970 5.
The Uffizi: The
Official Guide. Florence, Italy: Giunti Gruppo Editorial, 1998
6.
Zollner, Frank. Botticelli, Images of Love and Spring. Munich,
Germany:
Prestel-Verlag,
1998