Sandro Botticelli was an Italian painter and one of the most important pioneers of the Renaissance. He is renowned for his impressive understanding of anatomy and expert use of bright colours in his paintings. He is also one of the first early modern era painters to depict non-Christian (or pagan) images.
Primavera (c. 1477 - 82)
‘Primavera’ means spring. In this painting, we see a beautiful garden setting in springtime with the goddess Venus in the centre, elegant and poised, looking straight at the viewer. The figures on her either side part, allowing her a good look of us, or maybe us a good look of her. Her head and shoulders are framed by a dark tree in the background, looking almost like a halo. In typical Gothic and Renaissance paintings, we see the Virgin Mary in the middle with a halo. In Primavera, Botticelli has replaced the Biblical Mary with the pagan goddess Venus.
Above Venus, her son Cupid is flying blindfolded and is about to shoot an arrow at one of the three women to the left of Venus, the Three Graces*. They’re holding hands and standing in a joyful ring. A strong influence of Botticelli’s teacher, Fra Filippo Lippi, is visible in the translucent drapery around the Three Graces. (See below: on the left is a close-up of the drapery around the Three Graces. On the right is a part of Madonna and Child by Fra Filippo Lippi; note the transparent veil on her head).
Beside them is Mars, the God of War. He is unarmed; he is peaceful. He seems to be playing with the tiny golden clouds at the upper corner of the frame. Venus’s garden is so beautiful that even the God of war is at peace. In contrast, to the right there is a Zephyr (a god of the wind) abducting Chloris, a grim scene compared to the peaceful and playful figures on the left.
There is no visible light source in the painting; thick and dark trees entirely cover the background. Yet, all the figures (except for the Zephyr) are illuminated in brilliant gold, like they are incandescent themselves. Botticelli deviates from several Renaissance rules in this painting: he has elongated his figures, Venus especially, to accentuate their grace and divinity. They stand weightless, in impossible positions, like they’re floating above the surface of the ground.
These deviations help create a carefree atmosphere of spring in Paradise. They’re a realm away from us, the viewers, and Venus seems to be gently inviting us into her beautiful garden.
*Charities, known in Greek Mythology as the Three Graces, were goddesses of youth, beauty, creativity, mirth. Sculptures and paintings of the Three Graces were often used during the Renaissance to display three different angles of the female figure simultaneously.
The Birth of Venus (c. 1845 - 46)
Botticelli’s most iconic masterpiece, the Birth of Venus, was revolutionary in many ways. The subject, a fully nude female, is extremely unusual for the 15th century. Almost all the nudes painted in medieval and Renaissance art were of Adam and Eve in the Expulsion. Although sculptors like Donatello and Bramante started introducing the male nude in heroic figures (such as David), the female nude was rare.
Venus’s pose in this painting is similar to the classical sculpture Modest Venus (the figure of Eve in Massacio’s The Expulsion was also inspired by this same sculpture). However, a significant difference between Massacio’s Eve and Botticelli’s Venus is the treatment of the female body.
(Left to right: Botticelli's Venus, classical sculpture Modest Venus, Massacio's Eve).
In the Expulsion, Eve covers her body in shame. There is an agonising expression on her face as her naked body is exposed to harsh earthly elements. Even in Christ’s Crucifixion, the male nude is a sign of suffering or powerlessness. But in Botticelli’s painting, Venus is graceful and innocent. She covers her body due to modesty, not shame. There is an appreciation of the female anatomy visible in the Birth of Venus, which was exceptional for its time.
We can also see Botticelli’s keen knowledge of the human body with the dexterously intertwined bodies of Zephyr and Chloris (figures on the left, blowing Venus towards land). He has created a three-dimensional space with the background, but the canvas feels flat despite that. This flatness is partly due to the rich patterns and decorations on the painting: the flowers strewn in the air around Venus, the flowers on the red cloth the attendant holds, the v-shaped marks on the sea which signify waves. And in most Renaissance paintings, people are scattered across the landscape to create a sense of space. But Botticelli has placed all four of his human(esque) figures in the same plane.
In another deviation from the norm, Venus and her attendant don’t stand firmly on the ground. Their bodies are weightless. Venus’s floating posture on the seashell is pretty much impossible to mimic in real life.
(Look back at Massacio’s Tribute Money—the solid, grounded figures with feet firm on the ground).
Portrait of a Young Woman (c. 1480 - 85)
Botticelli’s mastery of colour is evident in all his art, but perhaps most prominently in his Portrait of a Young Woman. This mysterious young woman, whose identity has been hotly debated for a long time, is captivating. Look at her golden hair and her perfect porcelain skin standing out against the jet black background. Botticelli seems to have intentionally shied away from drawing a decorated parlour or items of status to create this contrast. Botticelli has broken strict side-profile portrait conventions to show a little glimpse of her left eye. Her long neck, forehead and thin plucked eyebrows were the epitome of beauty in the 15th century.
Many scholars believe this woman is Simonetta Vespucci. Both Medici heirs had publicly declared their admiration for Simonetta, making her the most desirable and respectable woman in Florence. Simonetta’s connection to the Medicis can be established by the cameo around her neck (depicting the Greek God Apollo flaying Marsyas); the Medicis likely owned a very similar cameo.
Some art historians also think that Simonetta inspired Venus in the Birth of Venus and Flora in Primavera. After her tragic death at age 22, Botticelli created many similar portraits of beautiful young women, who may or may not be Simonetta herself.