Spring by Sandro Botticelli
Sandro Botticelli is the artist of this painting done
with tempera grassa on wood. It is approximately 81.5 inches tall and 125.6
inches wide. It’s believed to be painted around 1480 in Florence, Italy and is
considered to be a famous piece of art from the Italian Renaissance.
It’s a beautiful piece of art that has many characters
from Roman mythology. In the middle is Venus with cupid right above her aiming
an arrow at the Three Graces. Beside the three ladies is the messenger of Jupiter,
Mercury. Then to the right of the painting you can see the nymph Chloris being
grabbed by Zephyr, and also showing her again to the left of them after she’s
transformed into the goddess, Flora.
This piece was found in the home of a heir to the Medici
family and is thought to be a piece of work commissioned by Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco
de’ Medici for his wife to signify their marriage. Sandro Botticelli was one of
many artists that worked for the Medici family producing many beautiful pieces
of art that reflected the style of the Italian Renaissance.
The painting holds a very calming characteristic with the
characters seeming to be dainty and petite. Even Zephyr with his dark blue
colors gives a somewhat calming effect even with his face that seems to be intent
on taking the nymph. The dark background is a result of the colors not being
well preserved, but it adds to the allure with the highly contrasting focal
points which includes even the plants on the trees, the flowers, and the
character’s pale skin or red cloth.
The lines within the painting give it dimension with
adding lighting effects and giving indepth detail to the clothing of the
characters and the flowers that can be found throughout the scene. The skin of
each person has a variety of different hues that add a more defined and defined
look to each character. The white hues used for the sheer fabric add a nice
layer that makes it look very transparent to the paint underneath.
I thought this was a beautiful piece of work and wish I
had the space to fit it into my home. I have a love of oil paintings and currently
have a variety of vintage paintings hanging up in my home so I know it would
fit in well, but I would certainly need to have a smaller painting. I just
believe that anything smaller would lose it’s character since it’s been
recorded that there are approximately 150 different varieties of flowers that
are found within this piece of art.
In regards to the story behind the painting, I believe it’s an interesting piece of art for a wedding gift. I do believe that the depiction of the nymph turning into Flora who seems to also be pregnant may be a great representation of his family life to come. The Three Graces representing three different dimensions of life, with Venus in the middle to cherish upon, Cupid to show how he’s impacted the relationship, and then Mercury to deliver the message of this relationship’s love. I also was drawn to this photo since I am currently taking a course that discusses Roman Mythology and I thought this was the perfect piece to focus on.
Richman-Abdou, Kelly. “The
Significance of Botticelli's Renaissance Masterpiece 'Primavera'.” My Modern
Met, My Modern Met, 8 Sept. 2020,
https://mymodernmet.com/botticelli-primavera/.
Le Gallerie Delgi Uffizi.
“Spring by Botticelli.” Le Gallerie Delgi Uffizi, The Uffizi , https://www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/botticelli-spring.
Hello, Cassandra! I like your detailed description of the elements of this piece. I like that you included a lot about tone and color in your description. One detail I find central to the interpretation of this piece is the differences between Greek and Roman deities used. I like that you mentioned Mercury and his role as messenger, but he is also majorly associated with trade and commerce; more so than his Greek counterpart, Hermes. Additionally, depending on the version of the myth referenced, Cupid’s father is sometimes Mercury; other times it is Mars. The familial connection is interesting here because I see it as a family attending the same event, working toward a common goal. Cupid being shown in this painting with his mother and his father is quite sweet because the Hellenistic gods and goddesses have been known to take sides in myth.
ReplyDeleteYou mention an interest in the Roman myth, so I want to bring up some details about ancient Roman wedding traditions because I think some of those themes are present here. In Roman weddings, the bride had to act both frightened and excited to be getting married. Displaying her fear was important because she was leaving behind her household gods, and entering the protection of others. Her former household gods needed to think she was not choosing to leave them. Additionally, this fear was meant to imitate the bride’s abduction. That sounds awful I know, yet it is a tradition that has somehow carried into weddings with the meaning forgotten by many. If you know the tradition of a groom carrying his wife over the threshold of his home, then you can apply that to this context. It simulates the Rape of the Sabines–which you may know of–an important event associated with Rome’s beginnings. All that said, I think this specific context of the unwilling Chloris to the married Flora--while they are Greek figures–may be associated with this ancient connection to tradition in marriage. The Renaissance's reflection on ancient Classic tradition also makes me believe in this association. La Primavera painting is wrought with symbolism of marriage, growth, and family, making it a perfect wedding gift for the times (if one was so lucky to be marrying into the Medici family).
Hi Cassandra,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your blog and the detail you went into about this beautiful painting. I think your thought that the painting has very calming elements is so true. The colors of this painting, just the lightness of the skin with the soft pinks, blues, and green seem to bring a coolness to the painting. I do agree that this painting would be an interesting wedding gift, but your point about Botticelli being close to the Medici family is true. Botticelli is portrayed as a friend of the Medici and someone who did a number of paintings for them, so maybe he knew just what to do for this wedding gift. The lines in this painting also include a little bit of movement especially between the nymph and Zephyr, the diagonal line say a lot about motion there. Thank you for your blog!
Interesting to see another Botticelli piece! (I chose to write about The Birth of Venus). Similarly, the origin isn't known for sure, but it was also believed to have been commissioned by a Medici as a wedding gift. Also, Venus seems to appear here as well. This is a beautiful painting and I love the color palette, even if it is a bit different than it might've looked on its creation.
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