Looking Back at the Renaissance:

Sandro Botticelli

Colleen Roy

Western Cultural Traditions I

Dr. Crain
 The Renaissance took place from about 1350-1550, following the Middle Ages. The

Middle Ages was also known as the dark ages due to the lack of progressive elements that

evolved in comparison to the upcoming success of the Renaissance. Literally meaning rebirth,

the Renaissance began in Italy around the mid 14th century and was a time of incredible growth

and production. The rebirth gave light to many rising philosophers, humanists, and even artists

who used prior knowledge of Greek and Roman society to expand their own ideas and creations.

Although philosophers and humanists were an essential piece to the Renaissance, the art that

evolved is fascinating in relation to prior civilizations. One of the most incredible artists during

the Renaissance time period was Sandro Botticelli. The life of Sandro Botticelli was filled with

great influence from society, the past, and people around him. Each influence had an immensely

positive impact on his pieces and led him to become one of the most prominent artists of the

Renaissance.

Sandro Botticelli was born in 1445 and was originally named “Alessandro di Mariano

Filipepi” but was given the nickname of “Botticelli”. (Gallery, London The National) The

nickname was rumored to be given to him from his brothers with the meaning “small wine cask”

(Gallery, London The National) or “little barrel”. (Lightbown, Ronald W) There is not much

information on Sandro’s early years, other than the fact that he grew up as a very smart child on

the “Via Borgo Ognissanti in Florence”, which was a pretty poor area. He lived in the area all of

his life. (“Sandro Botticelli’s Life and Legacy.”) Botticelli first began as an apprentice to a

goldsmith before his father, who was a tanner, introduced him to his first major influence, “Fra

Filippo Lippi”, an admired painter in Florentine. (Lightbown, Ronald W) Sandro was an

apprentice to Filippo Lippi and developed much of his style off of Lippi’s “simple and beautiful

paintings” as he began his early art education. (“Sandro Botticelli’s Life and Legacy.”) Sandro
Botticelli painted frescoes for Filippo Lippi and learned the art of detail and lines as well as

different techniques like panel painting throughout his apprenticing. (“Biography of Sandro

Botticelli (Alessandro Filipepi).”) In 1470, “Botticelli had his own workshop” (“Biography of

Sandro Botticelli (Alessandro Filipepi).”) in the home of his family and in 1472 he was allowed

to join the “Compagnia di San Luca” which was a group for Florentine painters. (“Sandro

Botticelli’s Life and Legacy.”) Sandro Botticelli was well off in the realm of his own artwork but

was also in a great position socially due to the prior connections of Filippo Lippi. One element

that makes Sandro Botticelli so unique, is that he became the teacher of his teacher’s son.

Teaching a member of his own teacher’s family made him very distinct, as he was able to teach

his own knowledge and continue the teachings of his instructor, Filippo Lippi to his son. The

connection with Filippo Lippi kept him well connected with leading families in Florence.

Botticelli was able to continue to work for such families as he developed as an artist which gave

him countless opportunities to share his work with the public. (Gallery, London The National)

In 1478, Sandro Botticelli completed one of most famous pieces of artwork titled,

Primavera, which means “spring”. (“Botticelli’s Primavera”) The piece, is visually of nine

human or mythical figures in a forest filled with either orange trees. There is a “strong interest in

classical antiquity” that shines through the piece, but there is no exact meaning. (Spielvogel,

Jackson J.) The artwork is said although to be highly influenced by the marriage of Lorenzo di

Pierfrancesco in 1482 (“Botticelli’s Primavera”) “Gothic realism” (“Biography of Sandro

Botticelli (Alessandro Filipepi).”) was very evident in the painting, which was a style very

common in the Renaissance. One thing that is known about the painting is the figures present in

the image, they are, Venus the Roman Goddess, her son as cupid, Mercury the God of May, the

Three Graces, the west wind Zephyrus, Chloris the nymph, and Flora the flower and fertility
Goddess. (“Botticelli’s Primavera”) All of these figures are prominent in current society or from

past civilizations. For example, the influence of Roman civilization is evident in the inclusion of

Venus who is the goddess of love and Flora who is the goddess of flowers and fertility in Roman

polytheism. Botticelli typically included a mix of mythological influence with the humanistic

element of the Renaissance. The intention of the piece is incredibly symbolic of the “springtime

marriage” and love developing between Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco and his wife. (“Botticelli’s

Primavera”) The Primavera is one of Sandro Botticelli’s more famous pieces due to the

prominent audience it was created for, being that Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco was a member of the

Medici family who were very well to do. There was also a large incorporation of Roman

influence and attention to line detail in the figures that made the piece standout.

Referring back to his life, Sandro Botticelli continued to create masterpieces following

the above discussed Primavera. In 1481 he was invited by the Pope Sixtus IX, to fresco the

Sistine Chapel walls with multiple other Florentine artists. The invitation to such adventure

highlighted the incredible level of respect society had for him as well as was the only time he

ventured out of Florence to create his artwork. (Gallery, London The National) During the next

ten years of his life, Sandro Botticelli would be his most inventive, creating incredible works

with great mythological influence. (Gallery, London The National)

Leading into his period of excellence, Sandro Botticelli created the work titled, “The

Birth of Venus”, which was also done for the Medici family. Visually the piece is of a young

woman standing in the nude on an enlarged seashell, with a man and a woman on her left and

another woman on her right. “The Birth of Venus” differs from his earlier piece mentioned

above, “Primavera” in the medium it was painted on. Rather than being on a wooden panel, “The

Birth of Venus” was painted on canvas which was a new and growing medium (“Botticelli’s
Birth of Venus.”). Homer, an ancient poet, was seen to be the inspiration for the theme of the

piece. There was an original account of his artwork where Venus, the goddess of love, was born

and used a seashell as her mode of transportation. One aspect that is important to note is the

inclusion of nudity, as Venus is painted in the nude herself. For inspiration it is said that

Botticelli used an Aphrodite sculpture and paid very close attention to how women in that

century wore their hair. (“Botticelli’s Birth of Venus.”) The piece is very unique in how there is

more of an incorporation of the classical time period than of the Renaissance, but Sandro

Botticelli was still able to demonstrate the birth of love into the world. (Lightbown, Ronald W.)

Sandro Botticelli continued to make exquisite pieces filled with humanistic and religious

influence, but there was a noticeable shift in his work by the 1490’s. The 1490’s were a time of

dramatics in Florence with the fall of the Medici rulers and the creation of a government under

preacher Girolamo Savonarola. (Lightbown, Ronald W.) Botticelli, already having been involved

with Savonarola, developed a new style that had more of a “deep moral and heavy-handed”

(Gallery, London The National) edge to it. His paintings began to reflect both the outward

struggles in Florence and his inner change to a more spiritual and sad mood. Sandro Botticelli

although seeming to be slowly declining, continued his life as a bachelor having never married

due to his lack of interest in the matter. (“Sandro Botticelli’s Life and Legacy.”) Savonarola was

killed in 1498, but his death did not decrease Botticelli’s devotion, rather was the inspiration for

two new religious paintings titled “Mystic Crucifixion” and “Mystic Nativity”. (Lightbown,

Ronald W.) He continued his melancholy and religious style with a small inclusion of “warmth

and imaginative brilliance” (“Sandro Botticelli’s Life and Legacy.”) as he began to near the end

of his life. Although having experienced great success and praise for his work in his early years,

Sandro Botticelli died in 1510 a poor man and was buried close to where he lived his entire life.
He was not given much credit for his success until around the 19th century thanks to a renewed

interest in Florentine arts. (Gallery, London The National)

The life of Sandro Botticelli was of great significance in the Renaissance because

although going through a time of dismissal, there was great praise of his artwork due to his

attention to linear detail and imaginative concepts. He had many influences that played a key role

in the style of his pieces especially that of his teacher Filippo Lippi. Beginning his apprenticeship

as a goldsmith before meeting his teacher and developing his artistic education, gave Botticelli a

unique edge that was very evident in his works. Sandro Botticelli was able to leave a strong

legacy through the teaching of his teacher’s son, Filippo Lippi. He began finishing the artwork of

his teacher and then finished with the teaching of one of his greatest influence’s son, which was

very uncommon. Botticelli was one of the most well-known artists in the Renaissance due to his

gift of painting and the impact of his outward influences. Society, his mentors and peers, and his

acknowledgement of past societies led him to become a force to be reckoned with in the artistic

world both in the Renaissance and in the world today.

Bibliography

“Biography of Sandro Botticelli (Alessandro Filipepi).” Sandro Botticelli (Alessandro Filipepi)

–
The Complete Works, www.sandrobotticelli.net/biography.html.

“Botticelli’s Birth of Venus.” ItalianRenaissance.org,

www.italianrenaissance.org/botticelli-birth-of-venus/.

“Botticelli’s Primavera” – ItalianRenaissance.org, 7 Feb. 2015,

www.italianrenaissance.org/a-closer-look-botticellis-primavera/.

Gallery, London The National. “Sandro Botticelli.” The National Gallery,

www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/sandrobotticelli.

Lightbown, Ronald W. “Sandro Botticelli.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica,

Inc., 13 May 2018, www.britannica.com/biography/Sandro-Botticelli.

“Sandro Botticelli’s Life and Legacy.” The Art Story,

www.theartstory.org/artist-botticelli-sandro-life-and-legacy.htm.

Spielvogel, Jackson J. “Chapter 12: Recovery and Rebirth: The Age of the Renaissance”
Western Civilization, Tenth Edition, Volume I: To 1715.