Sandro+Botticelli

Sandro Botticelli was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. He was born in Florence, and lived from 1445-1510 C.E. Botticelli is known for having a highly individualized and graceful style, typical of that time period. At an early age, Botticelli belonged to the Florentine school under the Medici Family. In 1462, Botticelli became an apprentice of the famous Fra Filippo Lippi, and artist influenced greatly by Massacio. He became so famous, that in 1481, Pope Sixtus IV asked Botticelli to help Perugino, Ghirlandaio, and Rosselli paint frescoes for the Sistine Chapel.
 * __-Life:__**

__**-Movement:**__ Sandro Botticelli was part of the Early Italian Rennaisance movement, and the Florentine School movement. Painters of the Early Italian Rennaisance movement attempted to continue the ideas of humanism, and sought to paint figures naturalisticly and with ideal proportions. The Florentine School movement lasted from 1400-1600. The movement was influenced by the International Gothic Style. In the 1400's, artists conveyed messages relating to science and intellectual innovations. Starting in the 1500's, the movement was comanded by the famous Rennaisance artists, such as Michaelangelo, Raphael, DaVinci, and Donatello.

His most famous artworks include the //Primavera// and //The Birth of Venus//.
 * __-Artworks:__**

__Primavera (1482):__ The Primavera and Birth of Venus were located in the villa of the Medici Family. The painting was commissioned by Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco, the cousin of Lorenzo Medici. Many art historians say the painting was made to celebrate the marriage of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici in 1482. The painting describes the arrival of spring, and contains many symbols alluding to Roman gods. The figure in the center of the painting is Venus, the Goddess of Love. All the other figures in the painting are Roman minor gods, each group of people depicting a different mythological story. Botticelli adds emotion and passion in this painting, which is shown by the intense facial expressions of the wind god on the right, and the playfulness of the group of dancing figures on the left. __Birth of Venus (1486):__ Similar to his painting of //Primavera//, Botticelli uses Roman mythology is his painting of the //Birth of Venus//. The goddess Venus is in the center, emerging from a shell. She is nude, and looks beautiful. The nymph, Ponoma, rushes forward to drape the goddess in cloth, and on the right, the wind god Zephyrus blows the wind towards Venus. The gentleness and beauty of Venus is representative of the Early Renaisance and Florence School Movements. Botticelli addresses the conflict that arose about the difference between naked and nude. This nude representation of a goddess was reinforced by the depiction of Venus. By classifying this woman as the goddess Venus, Botticelli calls this figure nude, and not naked.