- Young Botticelli. Botticelli was born in Florence in the working-class rione of Ognissanti. At first he did an apprenticeship to become a goldsmith.
- Being discovered by the Medici. Lorenzo de' Medici was quick to employ his talent. ...
- Influences of religion on Botticelli. Sandro was intensely religious. In later life, he was one of Savonarola 's followers. ...
- Other influences. Primavera ( 1478 ): icon of the springtime renewal of the Florentine Renaissance. ...
- His real name wasn't Sandro. ...
- His auction record tops $10 million. ...
- Botticelli loved a good Madonna and Child. ...
- Botticelli's work comes up at auction more often than you might think. ...
- You can see both of his most important paintings in one room.
Why did Botticelli burn his paintings?
Savonarola gave powerful sermons in which he accused the city of Florence of being morally corrupt and materialistic. Swayed by Savonarola's conservative religious message, Botticelli burned many of his own paintings, especially his earlier more secular works.
Did Sandro Botticelli get married?
Sandro Botticelli was born Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi to a father who was a tanner. Sandro had an elder brother, Giovanni, a pawnbroker who was called Botticello (“Little Barrel”), from which Sandro's nickname was derived. Sandro never married, and he lived with his family throughout his life.
How did Sandro Botticelli impact the world?
Botticelli was perhaps the greatest humanist painter of the Early Renaissance, yet much of his life and influences remain a mystery to us today. His paintings represent the pinnacle of the cultural flourishing of the Medicis' Florence, a prosperous society that encouraged the progress of art, philosophy and literature.22-Sept-2018
What were Sandro Botticelli accomplishments?
At the height of his fame, the Florentine painter and draughtsman Sandro Botticelli was one of the most esteemed artists in Italy. His graceful pictures of the Madonna and Child, his altarpieces and his life-size mythological paintings, such as 'Venus and Mars', were immensely popular in his lifetime.
Where did Sandro live?
FlorenceSandro Botticelli / Places lived
How many Botticelli paintings exist?
Though his mythology-inspired works are among the best known of his oeuvre, Botticelli completed a number of single-figure portraits as the genre became established in Northern Europe. Only eight portraits by the artist are known to exist, with most held in international museum collections.25-Jan-2021
How did Botticelli challenge the church?
He attempts to persuade Christ to cast himself down from the temple, shown in the top centre of the picture. In the top corners, he shows Christ the world's riches and challenges the Son of God to turn stones into bread.
Did Botticelli known Leonardo da Vinci?
It is likely that Leonardo remained a close friend of Botticelli, perhaps helping him through this difficult period and keeping him safe from his demons. Leonardo himself was a deeply religious man in many ways, but he was not a dogmatic one.09-Jul-2016
When was The Birth of Venus painted?
1485–1486The Birth of Venus / Created
Why is The Birth of Venus painting important?
This impressive mythological composition is centered on the introduction of the figure of the bare naked goddess Venus emerging from the shell drifting to Cyprus shore. It practically embodies the rebirth of civilization, a new hope, geopolitical, social and cultural shift which occurred after the Middle Age turmoil.09-Dec-2018
What type of art did Botticelli make?
RenaissanceItalian RenaissanceFlorentine paintingSandro Botticelli/Periods
How do I paint like Sandro Botticelli?
Botticelli applied thin layers of tempera and scumbled the top ones so that some of his previous paint layers would show through. He used the tip of his paintbrush like a pen to subtly outline his figures.10-May-2019
Why is Sandro Botticelli so famous?
Sandro Botticelli was one of the greatest painters of the Florentine Renaissance. His Birth of Venus (c. 1485) and Primavera (c. 1480; Spring) are...
What was Sandro Botticelli’s family like?
Sandro Botticelli was born Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi to a father who was a tanner. Sandro had an elder brother, Giovanni, a pawnbroker who was...
How was Sandro Botticelli educated?
Sandro Botticelli’s father apprenticed him to a goldsmith after his schooling was finished. But, since Sandro preferred painting, his father placed...
How did Sandro Botticelli die?
The cause of Sandro Botticelli’s death in 1510 has not been widely written about. Biographer Giorgio Vasari described Botticelli as impoverished an...
Who is Sandro Botticelli?
Sandro Botticelli is the famous Italian Renaissance painter , made immortal by works like the “Birth of Venus” and “Allegory of Spring”. He was born in Florence around 1445, and here he spent most of his life, as it was the flourishing cultural hub that of the time.
When did Botticelli die?
A less-than-epic ending to his life. Botticelli died in 1510, neither rich nor revered. Vasari wrote that Botticelli died “ill and decrepit”. By this point other artists such as Leonardo and Michelangelo were thought to be more modern and his taste was considered outdated.
What happened to Botticelli after the Medici were banned?
After the Medici were banned from Florence, the religious fanatic Savonarola took power in the Florentine republic, and the atmosphere changed completely. It’s not clear if Botticelli followed the friar’s sermons and ideas, and if he burned some of his canvases in the infamous Bonfire of the Vanities in 1497. But during this period his style totally changed. In the last years of his life the artist renounced his mythological pagan subjects to paint ultra-dramatic religious themes.
Why is Botticelli called Botticelli?
One of the most famous artists of all time has gone down in history not with his birth name, Alessandro Filipepi, but with a playful nickname. There are two theories on how this happened. The first claims that ‘Botticello’ was the nickname of his brother Antonio, who was as short and squat as a barrel (‘botticello’ means small barrel in Italian). The other has it that he was called Botticelli because his other brother Giovanni was a goldsmith. (Goldsmiths in Florence are called ‘battigello’.)
What is the meaning of Venus in Botticelli's paintings?
His Venus is a timeless symbol of female beauty. In the eyes of Botticelli her otherworldly grace was supposed to inspire the soul towards the divine, and bring the viewer closer to God. But the coarse truth is that the Venus he painted in “Birth of Venus” doesn’t have a proportioned body.
What would happen if Botticelli had to step out of the painting?
If she had to step out of the painting, she wouldn’t be able to walk or stand up. 4. Painting pain. Botticelli, the iconic painter of heavenly Renaissance beauties, also took on the job of depicting Hell, as written about written about by Dante Alighieri.
Where is Botticelli's Adoration of the Magi?
A self-portrait of the artist appears in the scene too. You can see this painting at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
When was Sandro Botticelli's Adoration of the Magi?
Sandro Botticelli, Adoration of the Magi (circa 1475). Courtesy of the Uffizi Gallery. An exhibition of the work of Sandro Botticelli (circa 1445–1510) is planned to open at the Muscarelle Museum of Art in Virginia on February 11. The show, “ Botticelli and the Search for the Divine: Florentine Painting Between the Medici and the Bonfire ...
What is Botticelli's real name?
Botticelli’s real name was a mouthful: Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi. So, it’s no wonder that the artist’s monniker was shortened to Sandro. “Botticelli,” meanwhile, was a nickname that meant “little barrel.”. According to PBS, it originally came from the painter’s brother.
How much did Madonna and Child with Young Saint John the Baptist sell for?
2. His auction record tops $10 million. As recorded by the artnet Price Database , Madonna and Child With the Young Saint John the Baptist, set a new record for Botticelli in January 2013 when it sold for $10.4 million ...
How much did Madonna and Child sell for?
The Madonna and Child, with a pomegranate, in an alcove with roses behind sold for £3.8 million ($7.5 million) at Christie’s London in December 2006 (a record at the time).
Where can I see Botticelli's paintings?
5. You can see both of his most important paintings in one room. If there’s one place that Botticelli fans need to visit, it’s the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, which counts the artist’s famed canvases Primavera and The Birth of Venus among its most popular works.
Where is Botticelli buried?
Adding credence to the rumor, Botticelli asked to be buried at her feet in Florence’s Church of Ognissanti.
Who was Botticelli's teacher?
Courtesy of the Uffizi Gallery. 6. Botticelli studied under the great Fra Filippo Lippi. When Botticelli turned, at the relatively mature age of 18, to painting, it was noted Italian monk and painter Fra Filippo Lippi who served as his teacher.
Who was Sandro Botticelli?
1445 – May 17, 1510), known as Sandro Botticelli ( / ˌboʊtiˈtʃɛli /, Italian: [ˈsandro bottiˈtʃɛlli] ), was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. Botticelli's posthumous reputation suffered until the late 19th century, when he was rediscovered by the Pre-Raphaelites who stimulated a reappraisal ...
How old was Botticelli when he died?
Vasari, who lived in Florence from around 1527, says that Botticelli died "ill and decrepit, at the age of seventy-eight", after a period when he was "unable to stand upright and moving around with the help of crutches". He died in May 1510, but is now thought to have been something under seventy at the time.
Where is Botticelli buried?
He lived in the same area all his life and was buried in his neighborhood church called Ognissanti ("All Saints").
Why is Botticelli called Botticelli?
The nickname Botticelli, meaning "little barrel", derives from the nickname of Sandro's brother, Giovanni, who was called Botticello apparently because of his round stature. A document of 1470 refers to Sandro as "Sandro Mariano Botticelli", meaning that he had fully adopted the name.
What happened to Botticelli after his death?
After his death, Botticelli's reputation was eclipsed longer and more thoroughly than that of any other major European artist. His paintings remained in the churches and villas for which they had been created, and his frescos in the Sistine Chapel were upstaged by those of Michelangelo.
When did Botticelli return to Rome?
Botticelli returned from Rome in 1482 with a reputation considerably enhanced by his work there. As with his secular paintings, many religious commissions are larger and no doubt more expensive than before. Altogether more datable works by Botticelli come from the 1480s than any other decade, and most of these are religious. By the mid-1480s, many leading Florentine artists had left the city, some never to return. The rising star Leonardo da Vinci, who scoffed at Botticelli's landscapes, left in 1481 for Milan, the Pollaiolo brothers in 1484 for Rome, and Andrea Verrochio in 1485 for Venice.
Was Botticelli a goldsmith?
Giorgio Vasari, in his Life of Botticelli, reported that Botticelli was initially trained as a goldsmith. The Ognissanti neighbourhood was "a modest one, inhabited by weavers and other workmen," but there were some rich families, most notably the Rucellai, a wealthy clan of bankers and wool-merchants.
The Art Style and Legacy of Sandro Botticelli
Florence artist Sandro Botticelli was among the first Western artists since ancient times to show non-religious topics, inspired by the renaissance of Greek and Roman ideals in Florence at the period. The belief that art might be admired for its own purpose rather than just for religious purposes was a breakthrough point in Western art.
Recommended Reading
During the Early Renaissance, Florence artist Sandro Botticelli was a painter. Less than a century later, under the sponsorship of Lorenzo de Medici, Giorgio Vasari classified this movement as a “golden period,” a sentiment he stated at the beginning of his Vita of Botticelli.
Frequently Asked Questions
Botticelli, the son of a hide tanner from Florence, was a brilliant student who was frequently distracted in class. He rapidly gained a reputation as a hyperactive, restless, and grumpy youngster due to his acute sense of humor and propensity for puns. His early skill was recognized, and he was taken out of school and placed in an apprenticeship.
Who is Sandro Botticelli?
Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, popularly known as Sandro Botticelli, was an Italian painter. He was a prominent artist from the ‘Florentine School’ during the Renaissance – a period beginning fourteenth century that witnessed rejuvenation of Roman and Greek culture in Italy. Though initially trained as a Goldsmith by his brother, ...
What is Vasari's most famous painting?
Vasari considered it as one of the masterpieces of Botticelli. His work consists of a number of fresco paintings such as ‘The Birth of Christ’ (1476-77) at the ‘Basilica of Santa Maria Novella’ and ‘St. Augustine’ (1480) at Ognissanti in Florence.
Who is the grandfather of Lorenzo de' Medici?
His painting ‘Adoration of the Magi’ (c.1475) features portrait of Cosimo de Medici (grandfather of Lorenzo de' Medici) along with that of his sons Giovanni and Piero and grandsons Giuliano and Lorenzo. Vasari considered it as one of the masterpieces of Botticelli.
Who was Botticelli's patron?
He had great patrons. Among his patrons were Cosimo de Medici, Lorenzo the Magnificent and Pope Sixtus IV – one of the most powerful men of his times. The Pope summoned Botticelli to fresco the walls of the Sistine Chapel. The iconological program was the supremacy of the Papacy.
Where did Botticelli travel?
What is interesting Botticelli could have traveled to Hungary, participating in the creation of a fresco in Esztergom, ordered in the workshop of Filippo Lippi by János Vitéz, then archbishop of Hungary. 2. He had great patrons.
How old was Botticelli when he became an apprentice?
There are very few details of Botticelli’s life, but it is known that he became an apprentice when he was about fourteen years old, which would indicate that he received a fuller education than other Renaissance artists. By 1462 he was apprenticed to Fra Filippo Lippi.
What is Botticelli's first example of Photoshop?
Botticelli’s depictions of female subjects in his paintings are considered by some to be one of the first examples of ‘Photoshop’. He tended to lengthen his models’ arms, narrow shoulders, and pose them in such positions that would be impossible to sustain, were they real, thereby perpetuating an innately masculine idea of beauty and the female form.
What did Vasari write about Dante?
He wrote a commentary on a portion of Dante and illustrated the Inferno which he printed, spending much time over it, and this abstention from work led to serious disorders in his living – this is what Vasari wrote about his obsession for Dante. 4. He was under the influence of a mad prophet and that changed his art.
Who was the master of early Renaissance art?
Sandro Botticelli – everyone knows his name and his The Birth of Venus and Primavera. This master of Early Renaissance belonged to the Florentine School under the patronage of Lorenzo de’ Medici, a movement that Giorgio Vasari would characterize less than a hundred years later in his Vita of Botticelli as a “golden age”. Here you will find all the information you should know about this legendary artist.
Who was Botticelli apprenticed to?
By 1462 he was apprenticed to Fra Filippo Lippi. Many of Botticelli’s early works have been attributed to Lippi, and attributions continue to be uncertain. Influenced also by the monumentality of Masaccio’s painting, it was from Lippi that Botticelli learned a more intimate and detailed manner.
Biography of Botticelli
Sandro Botticelli was born on March 1, 1445 in Florence. He grew up and was brought up in the family of the tanner Mariano di Giovanni Filipepi and his wife Smeralda. He was the youngest of four sons to his parents.
Painting
When Sandro was about 25 years old he started his own workshop. His first significant work was called The Allegory of Power (1470), which he wrote for the local Merchant Court. At this time in his biography, Botticelli's pupil Filippino appears - the son of his former teacher.
Personal life
Almost nothing is known about Botticelli's personal biography. He never married or had children. Many experts believe that the man loved a girl named Simonetta Vespucci, the first beauty of Florence and the beloved of Giuliano Medici.
Death
In the last years of his life, the master left art and lived in extreme poverty. If not for the help of friends, then he probably would have died of hunger. Sandro Botticelli died on May 17, 1510 at the age of 65.
Overview
Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi (c. 1445 – May 17, 1510), known as Sandro Botticelli (/ˌboʊtiˈtʃɛli/, Italian: [ˈsandro bottiˈtʃɛlli]), was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. Botticelli's posthumous reputation suffered until the late 19th century, when he was rediscovered by the Pre-Raphaelites who stimulated a reappraisal of his work. Since then, his paintings have been seen to represent the linear grace of late Italian Gothic and some Early Renaissance painting, even thoug…
Early life
Botticelli was born in the city of Florence in a house in the street still called Borgo Ognissanti. He lived in the same area all his life and was buried in his neighborhood church called Ognissanti ("All Saints"). Sandro was one of several children to the tanner Mariano di Vanni d'Amedeo Filipepi and mother Smeralda Filipepi, and the youngest of his four to survive into adulthood. The date of his birth is not known, but his father's tax returns in following years give his age as two in 1447 and t…
Career before Rome
From around 1461 or 1462 Botticelli was apprenticed to Fra Filippo Lippi, one of the leading Florentine painters and a favorite of the Medici. It was from Lippi that Botticelli learned how to create intimate compositions with beautiful, melancholic figures drawn with clear contours and only slight contrasts of light and shadow. In the late 1450s, Botticelli entered into Filippo Lippi’s workshop, and Lippi’s style is seen in many of Botticelli’s paintings, especially his earliest works. …
Sistine Chapel
In 1481, Pope Sixtus IV summoned Botticelli and other prominent Florentine and Umbrian artists to fresco the walls of the newly completed Sistine Chapel. This large project was to be the main decoration of the chapel. Botticelli painted a series of portraits of popes. These works were called Temptation of Moses, Temptation of Christ, and Conturbation of the Laws of Moses. Most of the frescos remain but are greatly overshadowed and disrupted by Michelangelo's work of the next c…
Mythological subjects of the 1480s
The masterpieces Primavera (c. 1482) and The Birth of Venus (c. 1485) are not a pair, but are inevitably discussed together; both are in the Uffizi. They are among the most famous paintings in the world, and icons of the Italian Renaissance. As depictions of subjects from classical mythology on a very large scale they were virtually unprecedented in Western art since classical antiquity. Together with the smaller and less celebrated Venus and Mars and Pallas and the Centaur, they h…
Religious paintings after Rome
Botticelli returned from Rome in 1482 with a reputation considerably enhanced by his work there. As with his secular paintings, many religious commissions are larger and no doubt more expensive than before. Altogether more datable works by Botticelli come from the 1480s than any other decade, and most of these are religious. By the mid-1480s, many leading Florentine artists had left the city, some never to return. The rising star Leonardo da Vinci, who scoffed at Botticelli…
Madonnas, and tondos
Paintings of the Madonna and Child, that is, the Virgin Mary and infant Jesus, were enormously popular in 15th-century Italy in a range of sizes and formats, from large altarpieces of the sacra conversazione type to small paintings for the home. They also often hung in offices, public buildings, shops and clerical institutions. These smaller paintings were a steady source of income for painters at all levels of quality, and many were probably produced for stock, without a specifi…
Portraits
Botticelli painted a number of portraits, although not nearly as many as have been attributed to him. There are a number of idealized portrait-like paintings of women which probably do not represent a specific person (several closely resemble the Venus in his Venus and Mars). Traditional gossip links these to the famous beauty Simonetta Vespucci, who died aged twenty-two in 1476, but this seems unlikely. These figures represent a secular link to his Madonnas.