Sandro Botticelli
(March 1, 1445 - May 17, 1510) |
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secular, allegorical, & literary narratives Art Work
| Name: |
Sandro Botticelli |
| Gender: |
Male |
| Place of Birth: |
Florence, Italy |
| Nationality: |
Italian |
| Birth: |
March 1, 1445 |
| Death: |
May 17, 1510 |
| Website: |
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| Past Auctions: |
Click Here |
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Quick Facts
| Known For: |
secular, allegorical, & literary narratives |
| Medium: |
oil painting, tempera |
| Method: |
oil painting, tempera |
| Style: |
Early Renaissance |
| Fine Art Profession(s): |
Painter
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Biography
Botticelli's paintings are timeless: their heavy use of allegory renders them as much an enigma as their creator. Yet the young Alessandro was initially apprenticed to his brother as a goldsmith, rather than an artist. His art training did not begin until about 1462.
Then a young man, Botticelli, Italian for "little barrel," was apprenticed to the Early Renaissance master Fra Filippo Lippi, who set his protege on the way to greatness. Lippi's own style is evident in much of his pupil's early work, as Botticelli absorbed his master's taste for extravagant decoration and a strong linear sense of form. When Fra Lippi left for Spoleto, Botticelli went to work with the painters and sculptors Antonio Pollaiolo and Andrea del Verrocchio. Both artists favored naturalistically portrayed, muscular figures, and Botticelli admired and imitated their sculptural approach.
By 1470 he was an independent painter in Florence with his own workshop and had his first commission: Allegory of Fortitude (1470). His talents soon attracted the attention of the mighty Medici family who, enamored with his secular historical works, treatment of mythical and religious themes, and portraiture skills, showered him with commissions. They were not alone. In 1481 Pope Sixtus IV summoned him to Rome to fresco the Sistine Chapel walls. He studied Florentine art forms, painting altarpieces, frescoes, and tondi of all sizes, creating harmonious compositions of fantastic landscapes and emotive, vital figures. Many of the Medici commissions mirrored the family's taste for classical antiquity represented by mythological figures. This unique style of secular painting peaked with La Primavera (c.1482) and The Birth of Venus (c.1485), in which the artist employs typically ambiguous allegorical forms.
In his later years, Botticelli's style and attitude radically changed under the influence of the Dominican priest Savonarola. His paintings became smaller, the themes apocalyptic and anguished. Toward the end of his life, he dedicated himself to a lifelong ambition of illustrating Dante's The Divine Comedy (1308-1321), but ill health curtailed his dream. The painter died in 1510. Although for centuries posthumously Botticelli's works were eclipsed by those of Michelangelo, his art experienced a revival in the early 1920s, and today, he is one of the best recognized masters of the Italian Renaissance. |
Samples of Work
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