Description of the painting by Botticelli Madonna and Child. The most famous paintings by Botticelli

From Florence

In an ancient city, alien and strangely close
The tranquility of a dream captivated the mind.
Without thinking about the temporary and base,
You wander along the narrow streets at random...

In art galleries - in a flaccid body
All the melodies of miracles have awakened
And the Madonnas of someone else's Botticelli,
You celebrate so many silent masses in disbelief...

...

Sasha Cherny

I decided to devote the fifth part of my story to that part of Botticelli’s work that went through his entire creative path- This Madonna image .

Many of you can probably name no more than five or six Botticelli Madonnas, but there were many more. According to conservative estimates I counted more than fifteen and this is just one of those images of which I was able to find. The dates of creation of many of them are not precisely established and often fluctuate within 10 years. At the same time, different dates of creation of the painting and different locations of the painting are attributed to the same image. It is possible that these are copies made by the artist in different years and then ended up in various galleries, or maybe there are simply mistakes by the authors presenting these reproductions. History is silent about this. Being neither a historian nor an art critic, I will leave this question to them.

Here I will not be able to dwell on all of Botticelli’s Madonnas due to the limited space of the post, but if possible I will try to dwell on the most striking images. If readers have questions about the rest of the paintings, ask questions and perhaps in the comments or in the next post I will try to answer them, of course, within the limits of competence and my limited knowledge in this area.

In the first part of my stories () about the work of Sandro Botticelli, I have already cited 4 reproductions from large series images of Madonnas. These were the paintings" Madonna and Child and Angel "1465, Gallery of the Orphanage, Uffizi;" Madonna on the loggia "(Madonna della Loggia) 1467, Uffizi Gallery;" Madonna in the Rose Garden "(About 1470, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, USA) (Note that on the Internet there is an almost identical “mirror” image, but with the name “Madonna del Roseto”, marked 1460, Uffizi Gallery, Florence); and, finally, " Madonna and Child with Two Angels "(1 468-1469, Naples, Capodimonte Museum). I will not dwell on them here.

Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist, 1468, Louvre, Paris

Madonna in Glory, circa 1469-1470, Uffizi, Florence

Based on the example of Philippe Lippi and Verrocchio, the artist gives an updated interpretation of the image of the Madonna. It lengthens the proportions of the figure and emphasizes the thinness of the hands.

Maria wears a transparent veil on her head, a detail he borrows from Lippi and will repeat often. Her robe flows freely, not like the costume of a city woman, which is typical for the paintings of his teacher, which carry life associations.

With her head drooping like a flower, Our Lady looks touching and fragile. almost ethereal, although the draperies plastically fit her body.

The cherubs forming a halo around the head of the Madonna - this symbolic motif of glorification - only emphasize the humility of the image presented by Botticelli.

Madonna and Child with an Angel (Madonna of the Eucharist), 1471, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, USA

In a confined space with open window, which overlooks the winding Tuscan landscape - river and hills - Botticelli presented a group of figures in a more complex compositional relationship than the first examples of his Madonnas.

The figures are now not so close together. Maria, with her head slightly bowed in sad thoughtfulness, touches the spikelet. The direction of her gaze is uncertain. The serious Baby, sitting on the Mother's lap, raised his hand in a gesture of blessing.

A young angel with a sharply pointed oval face and childish sophistication is an unusual image for early Botticelli. He hands little Christ grapes and ears of corn on a platter, a sign of the sacrament of the Eucharist, the future suffering of the Lord, His Passion.

In the film you can feel an atmosphere of deep thoughtfulness, detachment, and some kind of internal disunity of the characters.

An angel presents Mary with a vase of grapes and ears of grain. Grapes and ears of corn - wine and bread are a symbolic image of the sacrament; according to the artist, they should form the semantic and compositional center of the picture, uniting all three figures. Leonardo da Vince set himself a similar task. Close in time" Madonna Benoit". In it, Mary hands the child a cruciferous flower - a symbol of the cross. But Leonardo needs this flower only in order to create a clearly tangible psychological connection between mother and child; he needs an object on which he can equally focus the attention of both and give purposefulness their gestures. In Botticelli, the vase with grapes also completely absorbs the attention of the characters. However, it does not unite, but rather internally separates them; looking at it thoughtfully, they forget each other.

The picture has an atmosphere of contemplation and inner loneliness. This is greatly facilitated by the nature of the lighting, even, diffused, and almost without shadows. Botticelli's transparent light is not conducive to spiritual closeness, to intimate communication, while Leonardo creates the impression of twilight: it envelops the heroes, leaving them alone with each other.

Madonna with Eight Singing Angels (Berlin Madonna), tondo, circa 1477

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a description of this picture, if anyone has it, please post it in the comments.

Madonna with a Book, 1479-1485, Poldi Pezzoli Museum, Milan

Botticelli's paintings are full symbolic images. The painting “Madonna with a Book” is also called “Madonna Teaching the Christ Child to Read.” The ability to read in times of general illiteracy was respected. Books were very rare, mostly scientific or theological.

It has been established that the book lying in front of Mary is the Book of Hours of Mary; it symbolizes the authority of church teaching.

The cherries lying next to the book are intended to symbolize the promised paradise, the door to which has opened for believers in Christ.

The nails and crown of thorns in the hands of the Child symbolize the upcoming suffering of the Savior.

Madonna Magnificat, circa 1481-1486, scene: Madonna with the Child Christ and five angels,

tondo, Uffizi Gallery, Florence

The images of Madonnas painted by Botticelli in the mid-1480s are more complex in nature compared to his earlier images of the Virgin Mary. This applies to both finely developed types of composition and the internal content of the image. There is always a shadow of sadness, anxiety and uncertainty on the Madonna’s face, and the figure of the Child is depicted, as a rule, with symbols of the Passion, reminiscent of the sacrificial path of Christ.

The round shape gives the artist the opportunity to conduct optical experiments. "Madonna Magnificat" of 1485, thanks to the special bending of the curved lines and the general circular rhythm, gives the impression of a painting painted on a convex surface;

"Madonna Magnificat" - "The Greatness of the Madonna" - a typical Florentine tondo ("tondo" - a painting or relief, round in shape, Italian) emphasizes the refined nature of Sandro Botticelli's painting. Tondo dates back to the heyday of Botticelli's workshop, when it produced numerous copies of his paintings, made by Botticelli's students based on his drawings and cardboards. First of all, these were images of Madonna, for which there was a huge demand. Among them is this masterpiece.

“Madonna Magnificat” is the most famous of the artist’s paintings on a religious subject, written for private chapels; it was named after the first word of the prayer of the Mother of God,the text of which is clearly visible on the spread of the open book . The Child Christ holds a pomegranate in one hand, and with the other he leads the hand of the Madonna, who writes the beginning of a song of thanksgiving into an open book (Hebrews from Luke I: 46). Two boys, accompanied by a third, older one, hold a book and an inkwell, while two angels raise a crown over the head of the Madonna.

This composition skillfully inscribed in a circle is one of the most remarkable creations of the master. The exquisite lines of the hands surrounding the figure of the infant Christ seem to continue with the gesture of one of the beautiful angels and, through the hands of other characters, close on the crown of Mary. Such a ring of hands is like a kind of whirlpool, in the center of which a distant peaceful landscape is visible. As in the Madonna of the Pomegranate, Christ holds a fruit in his hand - a symbol of the immortality that he will bring to humanity.

The face of the “Madonna Magnificat” is marked by all the qualities that were part of the ideal of beauty cultivated by Botticelli. These include thin, fair skin and a firm but graceful facial structure. The expression of purity and innocence is complemented by a hint of tenderness visible in the rounded lips. Thick braided hair produces an earthly impression, reminiscent of the appearance of a peasant girl, but fashionable toiletry items - a scarf and a transparent bedspread - seem to transform the real woman taken by Botticelli as a model in perfect image Madonnas.

Mary and the Child Christ, fragment of the Bardi Altarpiece, 1484-85, Berlin, Art Gallery

Savonarola's sermons had a strong influence on many talented, religious people of art, and Botticelli could not resist.

Joy and worship of beauty disappeared from his work forever. If the previous Madonnas appeared in the solemn majesty of the Queen of Heaven, now she is a pale woman with eyes full of tears, who has experienced and experienced a lot.

Madonna's facial features and hands become increasingly elongated, fragile, unearthly. The entire figure of the Mother of God, vertical folds of clothing, blue stripes of the cape, and loose strands of hair emphasize the upward direction. The baby's face is full of childish sadness.

The surrounding flora, the wicker gazebo, the surrounding interior - everything is drawn with an unearthly decorativeness.

On the right and left sides of the altar are depicted John the Baptist and John the Evangelist. Their faces are stern, sad, wrinkled from the hardships and hardships they have endured. They are not visible in the given fragment, if anyone is interested in an expanded version of the reproduction, then write in the comments and I can show it.

Madonna with a Pomegranate, 1487, tondo, Uffizi Gallery, Florence

(Madonna with the Christ Child and six angels).

The Madonna's face in his paintings becomes bloodless and pale, her eyes full of tears. These faces can still be compared with medieval images of the Mother of God, but they do not have the solemn grandeur of the Queen of Heaven. These are women of modern times who have experienced and experienced a lot.

Altarpiece for the Church of St. Barnabas in Florence, 1488

Madonna on the throne four angels and saints - from the left: Catherine of Alexandria, Augustine, Barnabas,
right: John the Baptist, Ignatius and Archangel Michael.

The passionate depth of emotion left its mark on the works of Sandro Botticelli. Botticelli's paintings of the late 1480s, when an atmosphere of religious unrest was building up in the city, indicates that the artist was overwhelmed with excitement, he was experiencing shock, which would later lead to discord in his soul. During this period, Botticelli completed the altar for the Florentine church of San Barnaba. Among large religious compositions, the undoubted masterpiece is " Altar of St. Barnabas".

The strength of the execution makes some of the images in this composition look truly magnificent. Such is St. Catherine - an image full of hidden passion and therefore much more alive than the image of Venus; St. Barnabas is an angel with the face of a martyr.

John the Baptist in Botticelli's altarpiece is one of the most profound and most humane images in art of all time

One of Botticelli's most striking works is " Altarpiece of San Marco" ("Coronation of Mary with angels, Evangelist John and Saints Augustine, Jerome and Eligius"), written around 1488-1490 for the chapel belonging to the goldsmiths in the Church of San Marco. The chapel was dedicated to their patron Saint Eligius. The central part of the altar is marked by archaic features: the figures of angels and saints differ sharply in scale; a fantastic niche in which the coronation scene is enclosed , contrasts with the more realistic treatment of the spatial environment of the four main characters.

At the same time, in the paintings of the predella there is a lot of liveliness in the depiction of John among the heaps of stone blocks on the island of Patmos or St. Augustine in his almost deserted cell, in the laconic and intense Annunciation, in the scene of the repentance of St. Jerome in a rocky cave, and finally, in the energetic figure of St. Eligius, miraculously forging new leg horse, and in the unusual angle of a dismounted horseman in a flowing cloak. White horse in this episode there is a Leonardo motif, which, like any borrowing by Botticelli from other artists, takes on the character of a deeply personal interpretation. The painting contains that intense expression that makes the forms bend, take sharp turns, and become deformed.

At the end of the 1480s, religious images of an intimate, chamber level were replaced in Botticelli’s work by large-scale compositions, as if addressed to a more mass audience. In the solution of themes, different intonations now sound more and more, it is filled with a sharp dramatic sound. The very format of Sandro's works of this period on religious motifs is enlarged, which gives them new significance. Typical example this type of compositions - altarpiece of San Marco.

If in 1484-1489 Botticelli seems to be satisfied with himself and serenely going through a period of glory and mastery, then “The Coronation” already testifies to the confusion of feelings, new anxieties and hopes.

There is a lot of emotion in the depiction of angels, the oath gesture of St. Jerome exudes confidence and dignity. At the same time, there is a certain departure from the “perfection of proportions” (perhaps that is why this work did not have great success). Tension is growing, which, however, relates exclusively to inner world characters and therefore not devoid of greatness, the sharpness of color intensifies, becoming more and more independent of chiaroscuro.

Despite the wide popularity that the work enjoyed immediately after its completion, a difficult fate awaited it and long years wanderings. From the altar in the chapel of the church it moved to the Chapter Hall of the Monastery of San Marco, from there to the Academy Gallery in Florence and then, in 1919, to the Uffizi. Only upon completion of its lengthy restoration, carried out in the laboratory of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in 1989, can the topographical movements of the painting be considered completed. As for the restoration, it only partially eliminated the damage caused great work numerous trips from one room to another. Because of them, the original frame of the altar was irretrievably lost, which was replaced by a carved frame originating from the now defunct Battilani Church. The painting needed restoration from 1830 (when it was in the Academy and was restored by Acciai) until 1921, when Fabrizio Lucarini took up the work, completely rewriting the green robe of the angel on the left. But despite this work, the peeling and loss of the paint layer continued, which led to the last, most complete restoration, which seems to have stopped the process of destruction of the painting.

The power of this painting is largely due to the interpretation of the heavenly vision, saturated with religious and symbolic motifs with an apocalyptic overtones. They were inspired by Savonarola's sermons in Florence, which soon led to a political upheaval that ended with the expulsion of the Medici in 1494. John, the author of the Gospel, Epistles and Apocalypse, depicted with an open book raised upward (with blank pages, for he is still waiting for the words of Revelation), appears in the composition as a figure mediating between the contemplatives of the vision (Augustine, Jerome, Eligius) and the fantastic rotation of angels around the rainbow an arch of cherubs and seraphim bordering the scene of the Coronation of Mary. The appearance of angels against a background of golden rays, in a dazzling radiance, amid a rain of roses, and the earthly landscape with its rocks and deserted meadow on which the saints stand, seem to emphasize the contrast between the phantasmagoric attractive heavenly reality and the hardships of the material world.

The excellent restoration allows us to appreciate the significance of the San Marco altarpiece in Botticelli’s work, which marks the transition from more realistic and rational pictorial solutions characteristic of Quattrocento painting to latest works artist.

Madonna under the Canopy, circa 1493, Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Milan

The painting was painted for Guido di Lorenzo, abbot of Santa Maria degli Angeli and friend of Lorenzo the Magnificent.

In the 90s, in the master’s works, symbolism acquired a distinctly mystical character, with moral and ethical themes coming to the fore. Unlike more early paintings, during this period, Botticelli placed emphasis on conveying the inner feelings of the characters, rather than on external pomp.

In an enclosed space with an open window overlooking the winding Tuscan landscape of river and hills, Botticelli presented a group of figures in a more complex compositional relationship than the first examples of his Madonnas.

The figures are now not so close together. Maria, with her head slightly bowed in sad thoughtfulness, touches the spikelet. The direction of her gaze is uncertain. The serious Baby, sitting on the Mother's lap, raised his hand in a gesture of blessing.

A young angel with a sharply pointed oval face and childish sophistication is an unusual image for early Botticelli. He hands little Christ a vase with grapes and ears of grain.

Grapes and ears of corn - wine and bread are a symbolic image of communion, the future sufferings of the Lord, His Passion. According to the artist, they should form the semantic and compositional center of the picture, uniting all three figures. Leonardo da Vince set himself a similar task in the close-in-time Benois Madonna. In it, Mary hands the child a cruciferous flower - a symbol of the cross. But Leonardo needs this flower only to create a clearly tangible psychological connection between mother and child; he needs an object on which he can equally concentrate the attention of both and give purposefulness to their gestures. In Botticelli, a vase with grapes also completely absorbs the attention of the characters. However, it does not unite, but rather internally separates them; Looking at her thoughtfully, they forget each other.

In the picture one can feel the atmosphere of deep thoughtfulness, detachment, and internal disunity of the characters. This is greatly facilitated by the nature of the lighting, even, diffused, and almost without shadows. Botticelli's transparent light is not conducive to spiritual closeness, to intimate communication, while Leonardo creates the impression of twilight: it envelops the heroes, leaving them alone with each other.

Madonna Botticelli

This is a sad story. There is not a word in the verses about what happened. Poems are like that, in general.

Of course, I am pleased that these poems were loved by the brigade. I liked others too. But I think more because they treated me well. And these... Everyone saw the picture about which I wrote poems. Madonna and Child. I didn't make anything up.

In an estate abandoned by enemies, Among paintings, among ancient frames From a canvas in a heavy gilded frame, the Madonna quietly smiled at us.

I took off my ribbed helmet in front of her and pressed it prayerfully to my chest.

The battle-savage tank crews suddenly forgot what awaited them ahead.

Only about warmth. About tender female body, Everyone dreamed of peace at that moment. For this reason, Botticelli probably created the kind-faced Madonna.

For this silence. For the delight of Men who have forgotten what home is. Madonna told us more clearly than the battalion party organizer that it would be a mercy to be wounded, That we would again dive into the fire of attacks, To bring salvation to babies, To make women smile like this.

From the eyes of the Madonna, warm and radiant, With great difficulty tearing my gaze away, I again put on my ribbed tank helmet, Oiled my knightly attire.

That's how it was. Our boys would begin to memorize these verses if they found even a drop of untruth in them!

I wrote them not when we saw the picture, not on the estate, but already in the dugout. But little time passed. About a week. Maybe ten days.

The vehicle commander from a neighboring platoon came up with music for them. I wanted this to be the march of our company. Only instead of a march, for some reason it turned out to be a sad song. There was something in it that had already been heard, familiar, but it was still a good song.

No, nothing in these verses is made up. The only thing I didn’t write was that Madonna was not alone, but with a baby. But the baby was, as it were, part of the Madonna.

It’s just that I don’t like it in these verses... I myself can’t understand what I don’t like.

At the front, poems were for me like the guys in the crew. Soldiers. And these verses were different from others. They're also like soldiers. But not in everyday life, but at the parade. The same people, the same essence, the same desires. But in Everyday life they are not so sleek. These poems were different from all the others I wrote that fall.

The offensive ran out of steam. The infantry dug in and took up defensive positions. We were taken to the rear. We settled in a luxurious estate. The same one in which we saw this picture. But there’s no way they’ll let the tank crews stay on the estate. We were thrashed. Not the Germans - our own. Rifle Corps Headquarters. It's a shame, of course. But don't cry because of this. Even before the war we did not live on estates.

They built dugouts. Equipped them. They grabbed some things from the estate. I took the picture. This one. Madonna Botticelli. It was the battalion commander who told us that Madonna was painted by Botticelli.

The captain was an engineer before the war. Very cultured person. He really disliked swearing people. In a tank brigade! And in general, he was worried that we, the younger generation, would emerge from the war coarsened, with a primitive intellect - that’s what he said. The captain liked the fact that out of all the junk - and it made everyone on the estate look wild - I chose this particular painting.

Isn't it clear? More recently, in the eighth and ninth grade, I collected postcards with reproductions of paintings. I didn't come across Botticelli. More and more Shishkin and Brodsky. IN big cities I haven't been. I read that there are art galleries in the world. But what are they? Maybe this was the estate art gallery? What was not hung there.

But for some reason, out of all the pictures with hunters, with luxurious castles among brown-green trees, for some reason, out of all this splendor, I chose a small, dim picture. Only a woman with a baby. But I loved this picture!

That day the chief boy was visiting us in the dugout. He played "balda" with us. Educational maneuver. The player who plays “balda” must know grammar well. Usually the one with the largest vocabulary won.

We sat at a large oval rosewood table that took up all the available space. The chairs are also massive, with carved backs. There is a thick carpet on the floor, already pretty dirty with clay. Another carpet with a bright oriental pattern covered the couch. We dragged all this junk from the estate even before we covered the dugout with a roof. Two tiny windows on each side of the door. Dim. The cold Prussian rains poured continuously for a whole week. It's sad. I'd like to have a drink. And most importantly, there is something in stock. Would you dare in the presence of the captain? Of course, he is not our boss. But very right person our boss.

Since morning, a commission from the front's political department has been roaming around the brigade. Most of all, they say, a certain colonel is grumpy. A beast, they say. But we have order. We are waiting for replenishment. We are learning little by little. A well-known case is a brigade in formation. Yearning.

The commission arrived suddenly, even though we were waiting for its arrival. The colonel came down to our dugout. So burly. Like our furniture. Behind him are the brigade duty officer and two more officers from the political department.

I gave the command and reported. I tried. Showed his bearing. I immediately realized who he was and what he would like. Please. We don't feel sorry.

The boss explained about the “bastard”. The Colonel liked this less than my report. He said that it would be better to do political training. But he said so, not as an order.

I looked around the dugout. With approval, it seems. I was about to leave. And suddenly his eyes rolled out.

He just points his finger at the picture and remains silent, choking with anger.

And the picture is under the ceiling above the bed at my head, in the right corner from the entrance. It's a little dark there. Moreover, it is in the depths of a wide multi-stage frame with tarnished gilding.

The colonel stands dumb with anger and points his finger into the air.

And Madonna smiles. He smiles so well. He holds a baby in his arms and smiles. Good.

And we still don’t understand anything. And the officers from the political department, apparently, don’t understand either.

And then the colonel bursts out: “Who allowed the icon in the officer’s dugout?” Is he crazy, or what? What does this have to do with the icon? And in general, what kind of icon can a Jew have? And such a convinced atheist too. But I didn’t even have time to open my mouth.

All this happened faster than a shot. The colonel grabbed a Finnish jacket with a dialed handle from under the skirt of his jacket, rushed onto the couch and hit the Madonna with a knife - once again. I gasped. It's like someone stuck a gun in me. I didn't need any trophy. I brought only one Madonna from the estate. Why did he do this to her?

Well, what happened next! Chief Boy approached the colonel. And he stands with a Finnish woman in his hands and puffs. And we have never seen a captain like this before. So scary. Pale. And suddenly it hits! The colonel collapsed. As he stood, he collapsed. He didn't even bend at any joint. Well, I'll tell you, blow! Here's an intellectual for you!

The colonel is lying there, not moving. We don't know whether he is alive or dead. And we were all numb. And the duty officer for the brigade. And officers from the political department. No joke! The captain publicly slapped the colonel in the face! And what a colonel!

Well, when the colonel jumped up and pulled out a pistol, that’s when I came to my senses. And the wound inflicted on the Madonna hurt so much, bled so much inside me, and the bright rings of the inlaid handle of the knife lying on the filthy carpet hurt my eyes so much that any subordination was out of the question. In such a situation, they no longer understand who is a lieutenant and who is a colonel. We took the gun. Hands twisted. They tied him, the buffalo, with telephone wire and rolled him to the table leg. The political department officers, thank God, realized that if the officers from the crews became brutal, then it was better not to deal with them. I didn't even notice when they left the dugout.

About two hours later, the member of the military council himself, lieutenant general, came to us. And with him is our brigade commander. And a bunch of other big bosses. Only then was the colonel untied. He wanted to say something to the general, but he looked at him very badly. If you get down to it, what punishment could be worse than putting a man in a tank and ordering him to attack? Still, I wouldn't want to be looked at like that.

The boss took all the blame on himself. But the general just shook his head reproachfully and said something completely different from what generals say in such cases:

- How come you? intelligent person, could they allow a Botticelli painting to rot in this dampness?

Everything about this day was unusual. Even the general turned out to be somehow unreal. He left, ordering not to touch the painting. And everyone left the dugout. When we dug it up, we did not imagine that so many authorities would be here.

By noon the next day, two cheerful Muscovites in paramilitary uniform burst into our room along with yesterday’s political department officers. They said that the lieutenant general urgently took them to the front by plane. Restoration artists. They stood in front of the cut Madonna, gasped and groaned. A lot of different words they spoke incomprehensibly. They scolded me slightly. But they didn’t refuse to drink with us. Not bad guys. Then they covered both sides of the picture with something that smelled like honey, nailed it into a small flat box and took it away.

Until the very offensive, there was no place for me more hateful than our dugout. And how I loved her before this incident! How the painting adorned her!

Sometimes at night, when the dugout shuddered from nearby explosions, I woke up, turned on a three-light trophy flashlight and looked at Madonna. I looked at her, illuminated by green light. I looked at it illuminated in red. But most of all I liked her in her usual clothes – in white. The guys looked at me and were silent. Go understand them. If I looked at a photograph of some girl, they would shout all over the brigade that, they say, Lucky has finally fallen in love with a woman. And here... After all, laughter really is a picture. And nothing - they were silent.

What about poetry? Of course, everything was as it was written. But I don't like these poems.

1957