Sandro Botticelli
Sandro Botticelli as he is famously renowned was born in Florence on March 1, 1944/45. This famous Florentine painter was called Alessandro di Mariano di Vani Filipepe but is recognized more often by the shorter version of his name, Sandro Botticelli.
Sandro Botticelli was one of the early Florentine renaissance painters. His paintings “Primavera” (1478) and “Birth of Venus” (1486) are considered to be among the foremost paintings of the renaissance. Primavera is an allegory to spring which has its own significance in Florence. Among others the Medicis were his patrons. He exquisitely illustrated part of Dante’s Divine Comedy in pen and ink.
He also painted religious themes. He has done a series of paintings on the Madonna. The “Adoration of the Magi’ is another of his later paintings which hold its place in Florentine history. He was also very successful as a painter for frescoes in many a Florentine church.
Sandro Botticelli grew in stature and fame and became a part of the team of leading artists of the time including Perugino, Rosselli and Ghirlando who painted frescoes for the Sistine Chapel.
He was influenced by the Dominican monk Savonarola and may have sacrificed some of his works to the “Bonfires of the Vanities.” His later works including the “Pieta”, the Mystic Crucifixion and the Mystic Nativity reflect an intensity of religiosity. They also included a series of works on Saint Zenobius have what is considered a more mature approach but less of the individualistic style that characterized his earlier work.
Sandro Botticelli had a highly individualistic style. His works emphasized a mastery over line, coupled with an elegance bordering on mild melancholy to produce very arresting images which still leave a strong visual impact on most viewers.
Although his paintings form a part of other major art galleries world wide, Florence is the best city to showcase Sandro Botticelli famous paintings.