Sandro Botticelli paintings with titles. Angel of Florence: who was the mysterious Venus by Sandro Botticelli

Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) is one of the most outstanding Florentine artists who worked during the Early Renaissance. The nickname Botticelli, which translated into Russian means barrel, originally belonged to the artist’s older brother Giovanni, who had a large physique. The real name of the painter is Alessandro Filipepi.

Childhood, adolescence and learning skills

Botticelli was born into a tanner's family. The first mention of him was discovered 13 years after the birth of the boy, in 1458. Young Botticelli was an extremely sick child, but made every effort to learn to read. Around the same period, Sandro began working part-time in the workshop of his other brother Antonio.

Botticelli was not destined to engage in the craft, and he realized this after some time as an apprentice. In the early 60s of the 15th century, Sandro began studying with one of the greatest artists of that era, Fra Filippo Lippi. The master's style affected the young Botticelli, which later manifested itself in the artist's early works.

Already in 1467, the young Florentine artist opened a workshop, and among his first works were “Madonna with Children and Two Angels”, “Madonna of the Eucharist” and some other paintings.

The beginning of an independent creative path

Sandro completed his first project already in 1470, and his work was intended for the courtroom. Things went very well for Botticelli, and he soon became a sought-after master, whose fame gradually began to reach the royal palace.

Botticelli created his first masterpiece in 1475. It was a painting called “The Adoration of the Magi.” The customer was a fairly wealthy and influential banker with connections to the then rulers of the city, with whom he introduced the talented guy. Since then the creator has been close to ruling family Medici and carried out orders specifically for them. The main works of this period can be called the paintings “Spring” and “Birth of Venus”.

Invitation to Rome and peak of glory

Rumors about the young but very talented artist quickly spread all the way to Rome, where Pope Sixtus IV called him in the early 80s. Botticelli was commissioned in collaboration with others famous personalities of his time to carry out the design of a recently erected structure, known to this day - the Sistine Chapel. Sandro took part in the creation of several famous frescoes, including “The Youth of Moses” and “The Temptation of Christ.”

The very next year, Botticelli returned to his native Florence, the likely reason for which was the death of his father. Although at the same time he was literally overloaded with orders in his hometown.

In the mid-80s of the 15th century, Botticelli was at the peak of his fame: there were so many orders that the artist simply did not have time to paint all the paintings on his own. Most of the work was carried out by the students of the outstanding creator, and Botticelli himself was engaged only in creating the most complex elements of the compositions. Among the most famous works The artist’s works, which were created by him in the 80s, include “The Annunciation”, “Venus and Mars” and “Magnificat Madonna”.

Later creativity

Serious trials in life befell the creator in the 90s, when he lost his beloved brother, from whom he received such a funny nickname. A little later artist began to doubt whether all his activities were justified.

All this coincided with extremely important events that led to the overthrow of the Medici dynasty. Savonarola came to power, fiercely criticizing the wastefulness and corruption of the previous rulers. He was also dissatisfied with the papacy. The power of this ruler was ensured by popular support, Botticelli also went over to his side, but Savonarola’s rule did not last long: after just a few years he was overthrown from the throne and burned alive at the stake.

The sad events deeply wounded the painter. Many at that time said that Botticelli was one of the “converts,” as could be judged by the creator’s latest works. It was this decade that became decisive in the artist’s life.

Last years of life and death

In the last 10-12 years of his life, the fame of the great painter began to gradually fade away and Botticelli could only remember his former popularity. Contemporaries who saw him in the last years of his life wrote about him that he was completely poor, walked on crutches and no one cared about him in the slightest. Last works Botticelli's paintings, which included The Mystical Nativity of 1500, were not popular and no one approached him about commissioning new paintings. Another indicative case was when the then queen, when choosing artists to fulfill her order, in every possible way rejected Botticelli’s proposals.

Died once famous painter in 1510 all alone and the poor. He was buried in a cemetery near one of the Florentine churches. Along with the creator himself, the fame of him completely died, which was revived only in the final decades of the 19th century.

There are several paintings that people associate with the Renaissance. These paintings are world famous and have become real symbols of that time. To paint most of the paintings, artists invited people whose names have not reached us as sitters. They simply looked like the characters the artist needed and that’s all. And therefore, no matter how interested we are in their fate, now practically nothing is known about them.

Sandro Botticelli and his "Venus", Simonetta Vespucci

An example of this is the famous painting by Michelangelo that adorns the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, “The Creation of Adam,” or the creation of the same author, the statue of David. Now it is no longer known who served as the model for the creation of these works.

The same is with the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci “Mona Lisa”. There are now many rumors that the subject of the painting was Lisa Gherardini, but there is more doubt than certainty about this version. And the very mystery of the picture is more likely connected with the personality of Leonard da Vinci rather than with his model.

However, against the background of all this uncertainty, the history of the creation of the famous painting by Sandro Botticelli “The Birth of Venus” and the model that served as the prototype of Venus is quite clear. She was Simonetta Vespucci, a universally recognized beauty of that era. Unfortunately, the painting was not painted from life, because by that time Botticelli’s muse was already dead.

Botticelli was born in Florence and all his life he was patronized by the most influential family in the city at that time - the Medici. Simonetta also lived in the same city, her maiden name there was Cattaneo, she was the daughter of a Genoese nobleman. Simonetta, at the age of sixteen, married Marco Vespucci, who fell madly in love with her and was well received by her parents.

All the men in the city went crazy with Simonetta's beauty and kind character, even the brothers Giuliano and Lorenzo de' Medici fell under her charm. Simonetta was proposed as a model for the artist Sandro Botticelli by the Vespucci family itself. For Botticelli this became a fatal meeting, he fell in love with his model at first sight, she became his muse. At the same time, at the knightly tournament held in 1475, Giuliano de' Medici performed with a flag on which Botticelli's hand also depicted a portrait of Simonetta with an inscription in French meaning "Incomparable." After his victory in this tournament, Simonetta was declared the "Queen of Beauty", and her fame as the most beautiful woman in Florence spread throughout Europe.

And as mentioned above, unfortunately Simonetta died soon after, in 1476 at the age of only 23, presumably from tuberculosis. Botticelli was never able to forget her and lived alone all his life; he died in 1510.

Without a doubt, the artist respected Simonetta's marriage and did not show his love in any way, except by painting many paintings with her image. Thus, in the famous canvas “Venus and Mars,” he depicted heroes whose similarity to Simonetta and the author himself in the role of Mars is not questioned by anyone.

And in 1485, Botticelli painted the famous painting “The Birth of Venus,” which he dedicated to the memory of his beloved, nine years after her death. Botticelli's love was so great that he asked to be buried in the tomb where Simonetta Vespucci was buried, “at the feet” of her burial.

It is known that Botticelli wrote more than 150 works, but most of them were destroyed by representatives catholic church, who accused the work of paganism and secularism. The Birth of Venus was miraculously saved, rumored to have been protected by Lorenzo de' Medici in memory of his brother and love for Simonetta.

Sandro Botticelli born in 1445 in Florence. In a family of four sons, he was the youngest. By profession, Mariano was a tanner. He and his family lived in the Santa Maria Novella quarter on Via Nuova. In the house that belonged to Rucellai, he rented an apartment. Being the owner of a workshop near the Santa Trinita in Oltrarno bridge, he was not provided for, since the business was not particularly profitable. In his dreams, the elderly Filipepi wanted to identify sons as soon as possible so that he could leave such a difficult craft.

Sandro Botticelli is the artist's pseudonym, his real name Alessandro Filipepi. But to his friends he was just Sandro. And these days there is no clear answer to the question of the origin of the nickname “ Botticelli" There is a version that this education comes from a nickname given to the older brother for raising the youngest of his sons, in order to somehow help his father. Or perhaps the nickname was born in connection with the craft of his second brother Antonio.

Be that as it may, jewelry art undoubtedly affected Botticelli’s development in his youth, because it was precisely this area that his brother Antonio pushed him into. Alessandro was sent by his father to the jeweler Botticelli. Although he was a capable and gifted student, he was restless.

Around 1464, Sandro entered the workshop of Fra Filippo Lippi from the Carmine monastery. At that time he was considered a great painter. At the age of 20 (1467), Sandro left the workshop. He was completely absorbed in painting and imitated his teacher in everything, for which he fell in love with the young man and raised his painting skills to unprecedented heights.

Although the first works completely copied the style of Fra Filippo Lippi, an extraordinary atmosphere of spirituality, with poetic images, was already visible in them.
In 1467, teacher Sandro moved to Spoleto, where he was soon overtaken by death. Craving for knowledge, Botticelli embarked on a search for a new source of artistic achievement.

Christmas / Botticelli

Christmas

He devoted some period to the workshop of Andrea Verrocchio, who was a versatile master, painter, sculptor And jeweler. He stood at the head of a team of multi-talented aspiring artists. Communication bore fruit, thus the paintings appeared “ Madonna in the rose garden"(circa 1470, Florence, Uffizi), as well as " Madonna and Child with two angels"(1468-1469), combining the lessons of Lippi and Verrocchio. Probably, these works were the first truly independent creations Botticelli.

The period 1467-1470 was characterized by the famous image of Sandro, called “ Altarpiece of Sant'Ambrogio" In the cadastre of 1469, Mariano reported that Sandro was working at home, from which we can conclude that by that time Botticelli was already a completely independent artist. As for the fate of the other sons, the eldest of them, being a broker, was a financial intermediary with the government. His nickname is " Botticella”, which translated as “barrel” migrated to his famous brother. The Filipepi family had impressive incomes (they were owners of houses, lands, shops and vineyards) and occupied a high position in society.

So in 1970 Botticelli opened the doors of his own workshop. And approximately between July 18 and August 8, 1470, he drew the line at the work, which brought the master public acceptance and popularity. The painting that depicted allegory of Strength, was addressed to the Court of Commerce. This institution was one of the most important and dealt with offenses of an economic nature.

The year 1472 was characterized by Sandro's entry into the association of artists - the Guild of St. Luke, which made it possible to legitimize the image of the artist's independent lifestyle, to acquire assistants in case of commissions not only paintings or frescoes, and also inlays, engravings, mosaics, models for “standards and other fabrics”, stained glass, book illustrations. In the first year, being a member of the artists' association Botticelli was an official student of Filippino Lippi, who was the son former teacher craftsman.

Sandro's orders mainly came from Florence. So one of his most magnificent works is the painting “ Saint Sebastian"was performed for the oldest church in the city, Santa Maria Maggiore. And on January 20, 1474 (on the feast of St. Sebastian Maggiore), the work, being the first confirmed work of Sandro, was festively placed on one of the columns of the Church of Santa Maria, which firmly established itself in the artistic panorama of Florence.

Also in 1474, after completing work on this work, the master was invited to work in another city. The Pisans' request was to paint frescoes in the Camposanto painting cycle. It was during this period of time that close contact reigned between Botticelli and the recognized rulers of Florence - members of the Medici family. This is confirmed by the work (which became a reflection of the artist’s communication with his family Medici) « Adoration of the Magi ", ordered between 1475 and 1478 by Gaspare (or Giovanni) da Zanobi Lamy (a banker close to the Medici family).

Adoration of the Magi / Botticelli

Adoration of the Magi

This picture is of particular interest to a number of researchers, because it is on it that one can find an image of a whole layer of important historical figures. However, it is worth paying attention to the remarkable compositional structure, which speaks about the artist’s level of skill at that time.

The peak of the culmination of the development of realism in the image with an increase in psychological expressiveness occurs between 1475 and 1482. The most famous paintings by Sandro (“ Primavera " And " Birth of Venus "), which were commissioned by the Medici family, became the embodiment of the cultural atmosphere characteristic of the medical circle. Historians unanimously agreed on the dates of these works: 1477-1478. In this case, the existence of Venus does not mean the experience of love in the concept of paganism, but symbolizes the humanistic ideal of spiritual love. When the soul consciously or semi-consciously rushes upward and purifies everything in its movement.

Thus, the roles of Spring are shaded with a cosmological and spiritual character. Zephyr, fertilizing, unites with Flora, thereby giving birth to Primavera, Spring as a symbol of the revitalizing forces of Nature. Blindfolded Cupid is located above Venus (the center of the composition), identified with Humanitas (the constellation of the spiritual properties of man, personifying the three Graces), Mercury, looking up, dispels the clouds with his caduceus.
Botticelli interprets the myth, which carries a special atmosphere of expressiveness: scenes of the idyll are placed against the backdrop of orange trees, which are densely intertwined with branches, subject to a single harmonic rhythm. This is achieved with the help of linear outlines of figures, draperies, dance movements, which gradually subside in the contemplative gesture of Mercury. The figures are associated with a trellis due to the clear manner of depiction against the backdrop of dull foliage.

The characteristic content of Sandro’s works is the idea of ​​Humanitas, which means the interweaving of the spiritual properties of a person, in most cases it is embodied in the image of Venus or sometimes Pallas-Minerva. Or interpreted differently - this idea of ​​impeccable beauty, which carries within itself the intellectual and spiritual potential of a person, external beauty as a reflection of internal beauty, as well as a grain of universal harmony, a microcosm in a macrocosm.

Judging by the number of students and assistants who were registered in the cadastre, then in 1480 the workshop Botticelli was widely recognized. This year was also marked by Sandro's painting of "St. Augustine", located on the altar barrier in the Church of All Saints (Ognisanti). This order was carried out for the Vespuccis - a respected family of the city, which was close to the Medici.

Apocryphal texts were widely circulated, leading to the veneration of both saints in the 15th century. Sandro Botticelli worked tirelessly to be able to become the best among all the painters of that time, focusing on Domenico Ghirlandaio, who painted a different side of the image of St. Jerome. This creativity was carried out flawlessly, the face of the saint expressed the depth, subtlety and sharpness of thought, so characteristic of sages.

Lorenzo Medici in his political views he sought to reconcile with the pope and contributed to increasing the cultural ties of Florence. Thus Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Cosimo Rosselli And Domenico Ghirlandaio- On October 27, 1480, they were sent to Rome to paint the walls of the new “great chapel” of the Vatican, which was immediately erected by order of Pope Sixtus IV (which is why it got its name Sistine). By order of Sixtus IV Botticelli was appointed chief of the work, currently the master’s frescoes are considered more valuable compared to the works of other artists. The finished frescoes were installed in the fall of 1482 in the place allocated for them in the chapel not far from the works of Signorelli and Bartolomeo della Gatta that opened the cycle. Botticelli and the rest of the masters returned to Florence, where they soon experienced the loss of their father.

During the period of his greatest creative activity, Sandro had a close relationship with the court Lorenzo Medici, which led to the writing of most of the master’s most famous works in the 70-80s, commissioned by members of this family. The inspiration for the rest of the works was drawn from Poliziano's poems or was influenced by literary disputes arising among humanist scholars and friends of Lorenzo the Magnificent.

If we talk about portraits made by Botticelli, then, undoubtedly, they do not occupy such a high level in the gallery of images that are included in his compositions. Probably, this type of work was less given to the artist because of its constant need for movement and perfection of rhythm, which a chest-length portrait (characteristic of the 15th century) could not provide.
Of course, one cannot ignore the sublime nature of Sandro's realism. At least this can be seen potentially in his portraits of men. In them, one can especially note as a masterpiece only “ Lorenzano" - a plexus of extraordinary vitality and a portrait young man, expressing an outstanding expression of interpretation of the formulation of love.

Slander / Botticelli

Slander

When Botticelli returned to Rome, he wrote a cycle of large works on the theme of religion, containing several tondos, in which the sensitivity of the artist’s emotions was able to be fully expressed in the order of forms on the plane. The purpose of the tondo was to have a decorative function - to decorate the apartments of the Florentine nobility or as collectible works of art.

Tondo " Adoration of the Magi", which was the first known to us, has a date in the seventies. Presumably it acted as a table top in Pucci's house. The starting point is this albeit still young work, in which distorted perspectives are justified when the picture is horizontally positioned. In it, Botticelli shows a “sophistic”, alarming and sober approach.

Examples include the following works: “ Madonna Magnificat"(1485) and " Madonna with pomegranate"(1487). The first work, with the help of a special bend of curved lines, as well as a collective circular rhythm, creates the illusion of a picture created on a convex surface. The second work, intended for the Courtroom of the Palazzo Signoria, is characterized by the use of a reverse technique, creating the effect of a concave surface.

A different mood is created in Sandro’s impressive work “ Marriage of Our Lady", dating back to 1490. So, if the years 1484-1489 were marked by Botticelli’s contentment with his works and himself, then “ Wedding"carries a completely different message - excitement of feelings, unknown anxieties and hopes. The angels are conveyed with great emotion, and the oath of St. Jerome is full of confidence and dignity.

At the same time, in this work there is a feeling of detachment from perfection in proportions (perhaps as a result of this, the work was not so successful), the majestic tension, which is characteristic only of the inner world of the heroes, increases, and the sharpness of the color increases, which becomes more and more independent.
Botticelli strived for knowledge to a greater extent drama, which is typical for such works of the author as “ Abandoned" The subject of this work was undoubtedly rooted in the Bible - Tamar, who was driven out by Ammon. But this one historical fact transformed into an artistic embodiment becomes sufficient to acquire eternal status: here are the fragile feelings of a woman, and sympathy for her loneliness, and even a dense barrier as a closed gate, as well as a dense wall that symbolizes the walls of a medieval castle.

Spring / Botticelli

Spring

In 1493, Florence is stunned by the death of Lorenzo the Magnificent. And even more significant events take place in the Botticelli family important events- Brother Giovanni dies and is buried next to his father in the cemetery. Simone (another brother) arrives from Naples, with whom the master buys a “master’s house” in San Sepolcro a Bellozguardo.

Sandro's latest works breathe an intensified religious moral disposition. Botticelli always took religion and morality seriously, this was evident in the transformation of Lippi’s simple and traditional tune into mystical contemplation “ Madonnas of the Eucharist».

Sandro Botticelli's real name is Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi. It is difficult to name a Renaissance artist whose name would be more associated with the history of Florence. He was born into the family of tanner Mariano Vanni Filipepi. After the death of his father, his elder brother, a wealthy stock exchange businessman, nicknamed Botticelli (barrel), became the head of the family, this nickname stuck to him either because of his excessive passion for wine, or because of his obesity.

At fifteen or sixteen years old, a gifted boy enters the workshop of the famous Filippi Lippi. Mastered the technique fresco painting, Alessandro Botticelli (his brother’s nickname became a kind of pseudonym for the artist) enters the most famous art workshop in Florence, Andrea Verrocchio. In 1469, Sandro Botticelli was introduced to a prominent statesman Florentine Republic Tomaso Soderini, who brought the artist together with the Medici family.

From his youth, the lack of privileges provided by wealth and nobility taught Sandro to rely only on his own energy and talent in everything. The streets of Florence with their marvelous architecture and temples with statues and frescoes of the founders of the Renaissance, Giotto and Masaccio, became a real school for the “unhinged head” - young Sandro.

A painter seeking freedom and creativity finds it not in traditional church subjects, but where he is “overwhelmed by love and passion.” Passionate and able to please, he very soon finds his ideal in the image of a teenage girl inquisitively exploring the world. Botticelli was considered a singer of refined femininity. The artist gives all his Madonnas, like sisters, the same soulful, thinking, charmingly irregular face.

The artist fuses together his observations of life with impressions of ancient and modern poetry. Thanks to the mythological genre, Italian painting becomes secular and, breaking out of the walls of churches, enters people's homes as an everyday source of pleasure in beauty.

For the Medici family, Botticelli completed his most famous and largest orders. Sandro never left Florence for long. An exception is his trip to Rome to the papal court in 1481-1482 to paint as part of a group of artists in the library of the Sistine Chapel. Having returned, he continues to work in Florence. At this time his most famous works- Spring, Birth of Venus.

The political crisis in Florence, which erupted after the death of Lorenzo the Magnificent and the rise of the militant preacher Savonarola to spiritual power in the city, could not but affect the artist’s work. Having lost his moral support in the Medici family, a deeply religious and suspicious person, he fell into spiritual dependence on an exalted religious and intolerant preacher. Secular motifs have almost completely disappeared from the master’s work. The beauty and harmony of the world, which so excited the artist, no longer touched his imagination.

His works on religious themes are dry and overloaded with details, artistic language became more archaic. The execution of Savonarola in 1498 caused Botticelli a deep mental crisis.

In the last years of his life, he stopped writing altogether, considering this activity sinful and vain.

Simonetta was one of the most beautiful women in Florence. She was married, but many young men from rich families dreamed of a beauty and showed her signs special attention. The brother of the ruler of Florence, Lorenzo Medici, Giuliano, loved her. According to rumors, Simonetta reciprocated the handsome, very gentle young man. The husband, Signor Vespucci, given the nobility and influence of the Medici family, was forced to endure this situation. But the people of Florence, thanks to Simonetta’s beauty and her sincerity, loved the girl very much.
A young woman stands, turning to us in profile, her face clearly visible against the background of the wall. The woman stands straight and stern, with a full sense of her own dignity, and her eyes look decisively and slightly sternly into the distance. This young, light-eyed Florentine cannot be denied beauty, charm, charm. The curve of her long neck and the soft line of sloping shoulders captivate with their femininity.
Fate was harsh towards Simonetta - she dies of a serious illness in the prime of life, at 23 years old.

The painting “Spring” introduces the viewer to an enchanted, magical garden, where heroes of ancient myths dream and dance.
All ideas about the seasons are shifted here. There are large orange fruits on the tree branches. And next to the juicy gifts of the Italian summer - the first greenery of spring. In this garden, time stopped to capture in one moment the eternal beauty of poetry, love, harmony.
In the middle of a flowering meadow stands Venus - the goddess of love and beauty; she is presented here as an elegant young girl. Her thin, gracefully curved figure stands out as a light spot against the background of the dark mass of the bush, and the branches bent over her form a semicircular line - a kind of triumphal arch, created in honor of the queen of this spring holiday, which she signs with a blessing hand gesture. Cupid hovers above Venus - a playful little god, he has a blindfold on his eyes and, not seeing anything in front of him, he randomly shoots a burning arrow into space, designed to ignite someone's heart with love. To the right of Venus are dancing her companions - the Three Graces - blond creatures in transparent white clothes that do not hide the shape of their bodies, but slightly soften it with whimsically swirling folds.
Near the dancing graces stands the messenger of the gods, Mercury; he is easily recognized by his traditional caduceus staff, with the help of which, according to mythology, he could generously give gifts to people, and by his winged sandals, which gave him the ability to be transported from one place to another with lightning speed. A knight's helmet is put on his dark curls, a red cloak is thrown over his right shoulder, and on top of the cloak on a sling is a sword with a sharply curved blade and a magnificent hilt. Looking upward, Mercury raises the caduceus above his head. What does his gesture mean? What gift did he bring to the kingdom of spring? Perhaps he disperses the clouds with his wand so that not a single drop disturbs the garden enchanted in its bloom.
From the depths of the thicket, past the leaning trees, the wind god Zephyr flies, embodying the elemental principle in nature. This is an unusual creature with bluish skin, blue wings and hair, wearing a cloak of the same color. He is chasing the young nymph of the fields, Chloe. Looking back at her pursuer, she almost falls forward, but the hands of the violent wind manage to catch and hold her. From Zephyr's breath, flowers appear on the nymph's lips; when they fall off, they mix with those with which Flora is strewn.
There is a wreath on the head of the fertility goddess, a flower garland on her neck, a branch of roses instead of a belt, and all her clothes are woven with colorful flowers. Flora is the only one of all the characters who goes straight to the viewer, she seems to be looking at us, but she does not see us, she is immersed in herself.
In this thoughtful melodic composition, where the fragile charm of the new Botticelli type sounded differently in the exquisitely transparent images of the dancing Graces, Venus and Flora, the artist offers thinkers and rulers his own version of a wise and fair world order, where beauty and love reign.

Goddess of fertility - Flora.

Spring itself!

An amazing picture that creates an atmosphere of dreaminess and light sadness. The artist first depicted the naked goddess of love and beauty Venus from the ancient myth. A beautiful goddess, born from the foam of the sea, under the blowing winds, standing in a huge shell, glides along the surface of the sea to the shore. A nymph hurries towards her, preparing to throw a veil decorated with flowers over the goddess’s shoulders. Lost in thought, Venus stands with her head bowed and her hand supporting her hair flowing along her body. Her thin, spiritual face is full of that unearthly hidden sadness. Zephyr's lilac-blue cloak, delicate pink flowers, falling under the blowing winds, create a rich, unique color scheme. The artist plays with the elusive flow of feelings in the picture; he makes all of nature - the sea, trees, winds and air - echo the melodious outlines of the body and the infectious rhythms of the movements of his golden-haired goddess.

Through the stormy Aegean, the cradle floated through the womb of Thetis among the foamy waters.

The creation of a different horizon, with a face unlike people, rises

In a lovely pose, looking animated, she is a young virgin. Attracts

Marshmallow in love sinks to the shore, and the heavens rejoice in their flight.

They would say: the true sea is here, and the shell with foam is like living things,

And you can see that the goddess’s eyes are shining; Before her with a smile is the sky and poetry.

There, in white, Ora walks along the shore, the wind ruffles their golden hair.

You could see how she came out of the water, holding her right hand

His hair, the other covering his nipple, flowers and herbs at her feet

The sand was covered with fresh greenery.

(From Angelo Poliziano's poem "Giostra")

Beautiful Venus

Botticelli interprets the myth of the formidable war god Mars and his lover, the goddess of beauty Venus, in the spirit of an elegant idyll, which should have pleased Lorenzo the Magnificent, the ruler of Florence, and his entourage.
Naked Mars, freed from his armor and weapons, sleeps, stretched out on a pink cloak and leaning on his shell. Leaning on a scarlet pillow, Venus rises, fixing her gaze on her lover. Myrtle bushes close the scene to the right and left, only small gaps of sky are visible between the figures of small satyrs playing with the weapons of Mars. These goat-footed creatures with sharp long ears and frolic around their lovers with tiny horns. One got into the shell, the other put on too much grand slam, in which his head sank, and grabbed the huge spear of Mars, helping to drag it to the third satyr; the fourth placed a golden twisted shell to Mars' ear, as if whispering to him dreams of love and memories of battles.
Venus truly owns the god of war; it is for her sake that weapons were left, which became unnecessary to Mars and turned into an object of fun for little satyrs.
Venus is here - loving woman, guarding the lover's sleep. The goddess’s pose is calm, and at the same time, there is something fragile in her small pale face and too thin hands, and her gaze is filled with almost imperceptible sadness and sadness. Venus embodies not so much the joy of love as its anxiety. Botticelli's characteristic lyricism helped him create a poetic female image. The movement of the goddess emanates amazing grace; she is reclining, her bare leg stretched out, peeking out from under her transparent clothing. The white dress, trimmed with gold embroidery, emphasizes the graceful proportions of the slender, elongated body and enhances the impression of purity and restraint of the appearance of the goddess of love.
The position of Mars indicates anxiety that does not leave him even in sleep. The head is thrown back strongly. On an energetic face, the play of light and shadow highlights a half-open mouth and a deep, sharp fold crossing the forehead.
The painting was painted on a wooden board measuring 69 x 173.5 cm; it may have served as a decoration for the headboard. It was made in honor of the betrothal of one of the representatives of the Vespucci family.

The painting was painted during the peak period of the artist’s talent. On small picture The front view shows a young man in modest brown clothes and a red cap. For the Italian portrait of the 15th century, this was almost a revolution - until that moment, everyone who ordered their portrait was depicted in profile or, from the second half of the century, in three-quarters. A pleasant and open young face looks out from the picture. The young man has large brown eyes, a well-defined nose, plump and soft lips. Beautiful curly hair is released from under the red cap, framing the face.

The use of mixed media (the artist used both tempera and oil paints) made it possible to make the contours softer and the light-and-shadow transitions more saturated in color.

Botticelli, like all Renaissance artists, painted Madonna and Child many times, in a variety of subjects and poses. But they are all distinguished by their special femininity and softness. The baby clung to his mother with tenderness. It should be said that, unlike Orthodox icons, in which the images are made flatly, as if emphasizing the incorporeality of the Mother of God, in Western European paintings the Madonnas look alive, very earthly.

"Decameron" - from the Greek "ten" and "day". This is a book consisting of the stories of a group of noble young men from Florence who left to escape the plague to a country villa. Settling in the church, they tell ten stories for ten days to entertain themselves in forced exile.
Sandro Botticelli, commissioned by Antonio Pacca for his son’s wedding, painted a series of paintings based on a story from the Decameron - “The Story of Nastagio degli Onesti.”
The story tells how a rich and well-born young man, Nastagio, fell in love with an even more well-born girl, unfortunately endowed with a quarrelsome character and exorbitant pride. To forget the proud woman, he leaves his native Ravenna and goes to the nearby town of Chiassi. Once, while walking with a friend through the forest, he heard loud screams and a woman’s cry. And then I saw with horror how a beautiful naked girl was running through the forest, and behind her a rider was galloping on a horse with a sword in his hand, threatening the girl with death, and dogs were tearing the girl from both sides...

Nastagio was frightened, but, feeling sorry for the girl, he overcame his fear and rushed to help her and, grabbing a branch from the tree in his hands, went to the horseman. The horseman shouted: “Don’t bother me, Nastagio! Let me do what this woman deserves!” And he said that once, a very long time ago, he loved this girl very much, but she caused him a lot of grief, so because of her cruelty and arrogance he killed himself. But she did not repent, and soon she died. And then those from above imposed the following punishment on them: he constantly catches up with her, kills her, and takes out her heart, throwing it to the dogs. After a little time, she crawls away as if nothing had happened and the chase begins again. And so every day, at the same time. Today, on Friday, at this hour, he always catches up with her here, on other days - in another place.

Nastagio thought about it and realized how to teach his beloved a lesson. He called all his relatives and friends to this forest, at this hour, next Friday, and ordered rich tables to be set and set. When the guests arrived, he planted his beloved proud girl with her face right where the unhappy couple should appear. And soon there were exclamations, crying, and everything was repeated... The horseman told the guests everything, as Nastagio had told him before. The guests looked at the execution in amazement and horror. And Nastagio’s girl thought about it and realized that the same punishment could await her. Fear suddenly gave birth to love for the young man.
Soon after the cruel performance staged by Nastagio, the girl sent an attorney with her consent to the wedding. And they lived happily, in love and harmony.

The composition is two-figure. The Annunciation is the most fantastic story of all gospel stories. The “Annunciation” - the good news - is unexpected and fabulous for Mary, as is the very appearance of a winged angel before her. It seems that another moment, and Mary will collapse at the feet of the Archangel Gabriel, ready to cry herself. The drawing of the figures depicts violent tension. Everything that happens has the character of anxiety, gloomy despair. The picture was created in last period Botticelli's creativity, when his hometown of Florence fell out of favor with the monks, when all of Italy was threatened with death - all this cast a gloomy shade on the picture.

Through a mythological plot, Botticelli conveys in this picture the essence of the moral qualities of people.
King Midas sits on the throne, two insidious figures - Ignorance and Suspicion - whisper dirty slander into his donkey ears. Midas listens with his eyes closed, and in front of him stands ugly man in black is Malice, which always guides the actions of Midas. Next to her is Slander - a beautiful young girl with the appearance of pure innocence. And next to her are two beautiful constant companions of Slander - Envy and Lie. They weave flowers and ribbons into the girl’s hair so that Slander will always be favorable to them. Malice is drawn to Midas by Slander, who was the king’s favorite. She herself, with all her might, drags the Victim - a half-naked, unfortunate young man - to the judgment seat. It is easy to understand what the judgment will be like.
On the left, alone, stand two more figures that are unnecessary here - Repentance - an old woman in dark “funeral” clothes and Truth - naked, and knowing everything. She turned her gaze to God and extended her hand upward.

The Magi are wise men who, having heard the good news of the birth of the baby Christ, hastened to the Mother of God and her great son with gifts and wishes for goodness and long-suffering. The entire space is filled with wise men - in rich clothes, with gifts - all of them are eager to witness the great event - the birth of the future Savior of mankind.
Here the sage knelt before the Mother of God and reverently kissed the hem of little Jesus’ robe.

Before us is Giuliano Medici, the younger brother of the ruler of Florence, Lorenzo the Magnificent. He was tall, slender, handsome, agile and strong. He was passionate about hunting, fishing, horses, and loved to play chess. Of course, he could not outshine his brother in the field of politics, diplomacy or poetry. But Giuliano loved Lorenzo very much. The family dreamed of making Giuliano a cardinal, but this intention was not realized.
Giuliano led a lifestyle in keeping with the demands of the time and the position of the Medici. The Florentines long remembered his outfit of silver brocade, decorated with rubies and pearls, when he performed at one of these festivals as a sixteen-year-old youth.
The most beautiful girls in Florence fell in love with him, but Giuliano accompanied only one everywhere - Simonetta Vespucci. Although the girl was married, this did not stop her from reciprocating the charming Giuliano. Giuliano's love for Simonetta was glorified in Poliziano's poem, and early death turned their relationship into a romantic legend.
Like Simonetta, Giuliano died early. But not from illness, but was killed during an attack on Florence by supporters of the Pope - the Pazzi family. Right in the cathedral, in the crowd, during the service, insidious killers attacked the patriots of Florence, creating a stampede. They, of course, wanted first of all to kill Lorenzo, but he managed to escape, but Giuliano was unlucky, he was killed by an evil, insidious hand.
In the portrait, the artist created a spiritualized image of Giuliano Medici, marked by sadness and doom. The head of a young man with dark hair is turned in profile and stands out against the background of the window. The young man’s face is significant and beautiful: a high clear forehead, a thin nose with a hump, a sensual mouth, a massive chin. The eyes are covered with a heavy semicircle of eyelids, in the shadow of which the gaze barely flickers. The artist emphasizes the pallor of his face, the bitter fold of his lips, a slight wrinkle crossing the bridge of his nose - this enhances the impression of hidden sadness. permeating the appearance of Giuliano. Simplicity color range, consisting of red, brown and gray-blue, corresponds to the overall restraint of the composition and the image itself.

Botticelli, Sandro (Filipepi, Alessandro di Mariano). Genus. 1445, Florence - d. 1510, ibid.

Sandro Botticelli is one of the most famous Florentine painters of the late 15th century. His art, intended for educated connoisseurs, imbued with motifs of Neoplatonic philosophy, was not appreciated for a long time. For about three centuries, Botticelli was almost forgotten, until in the middle of the 19th century interest in his work revived, which continues to this day. Writers of the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. (R. Sizeran, P. Muratov) created a romantic-tragic image of the artist, which has since firmly established itself in the minds. But documents from the late 15th – early 16th centuries do not confirm such an interpretation of his personality and do not always confirm the data in the biography of Sandro Botticelli, written Vasari.

Self-portrait of Sandro Botticelli. Detail of the painting "Adoration of the Magi". OK. 1475

Sandro Filipepi (this is the real name of the master) was the youngest son of the tanner Mariano Filipepi, who lived in the parish of the Church of All Saints (Ognisanti). Two Botticelli brothers - Giovanni and Simone - were engaged in trade, the third - Antonio - in jewelry. WITH trading activities The brothers are connected by the origin of Sandro’s nickname – “botticelle” (“barrel”). However, Vasari reports that this was the name given to the godfather of the artist’s father, Mariano, a jeweler to whom Sandro was apprenticed. There is another version, perhaps the closest to the truth, according to which the nickname passed to Sandro Botticelli from his brother Antonio, and it means a distorted Florentine word “ battigello" - "silversmith."

Around 1464 Sandro entered the workshop of the famous artist Fra Filippo Lippi on the recommendation of his neighbor, the head of the Vespucci family. Botticelli remained there until the beginning of 1467. There is information that in the spring of 1467 he began visiting the workshop Andrea Verrocchio, and from 1469 he worked independently, initially at home, and then in a rented workshop. The first work undoubtedly belonging to Botticelli, “Allegory of Power” (Florence, Uffizi), dates back to 1470. It was part of the “Seven Virtues” series (the rest are filled Piero Pollaiolo) for the hall of the Commercial Court. Botticelli soon became a student of the later famous Filippino Lippi, son of Fra Filippo, who died in 1469. January 20, 1474 on the occasion of the feast of St. Sebastian's painting "Saint Sebastian" by Sandro Botticelli was exhibited in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Florence.

In the same year, Sandro Botticelli was invited to Pisa to work on the Camposanto frescoes. For an unknown reason, he did not complete them, but in the Pisa Cathedral he painted the fresco “The Assumption of Our Lady,” which died in 1583. In the 1470s, Botticelli became close to the Medici family and the “Medice circle” - poets and Neoplatonist philosophers (Marsilio Ficino, Pico della Mirandola , Angelo Poliziano). January 28, 1475 brother Lorenzo the Magnificent Giuliano took part in a tournament in one of the Florentine squares with a standard painted by Botticelli (not preserved). After the failed Pazzi plot to overthrow the Medici (April 26, 1478), Botticelli, commissioned by Lorenzo the Magnificent, painted a fresco over the Porta della Dogana, which led to the Palazzo Vecchio. It depicted the hanged conspirators (this painting was destroyed on November 14, 1494 after Piero de' Medici fled from Florence).

Among the best works of Sandro Botticelli of the 1470s is “The Adoration of the Magi,” where members of the Medici family and people close to them are shown in the images of eastern sages and their retinue. At the right edge of the picture, the artist depicted himself.

Sandro Botticelli. Adoration of the Magi. OK. 1475. In the lower right corner of the picture the artist depicted himself standing

Between 1475 and 1480 Sandro Botticelli created one of the most beautiful and mysterious works - the painting "Spring". It was intended for Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco Medici, with whom Botticelli had friendly relations. The plot of this painting, which combines motifs of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, has not yet been fully explained and is obviously inspired by both Neoplatonic cosmogony and events in the Medici family.

Sandro Botticelli. Spring. OK. 1482

The early period of Botticelli’s work ends with the fresco “St. Augustine" (1480, Florence, Church of Ognisanti), commissioned by the Vespucci family. She is a pair of Domenico's compositions Ghirlandaio"St. Jerome" in the same temple. The spiritual passion of Augustine's image contrasts with the prosaism of Jerome, clearly demonstrating the differences between the deep, emotional creativity of Botticelli and the solid craft of Ghirlandaio.

In 1481, together with other painters from Florence and Umbria (Perugino, Piero di Cosimo, Domenico Ghirlandaio), Sandro Botticelli was invited to Rome by Pope Sixtus IV to work in Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. He returned to Florence in the spring of 1482, having managed to write three large compositions in the chapel: “The Healing of the Leper and the Temptation of Christ”, “The Youth of Moses” and “The Punishment of Korah, Dathan and Abiron”.

Sandro Botticelli. Scenes from the life of Moses. 1481-1482

Sandro Botticelli. Punishment of Korah, Dathan and Abiron. Fresco of the Sistine Chapel. 1481-1482

In the 1480s, Botticelli continued to work for the Medici and other noble Florentine families, producing paintings of both secular and religious subjects. Around 1483 with Filippino Lippi, Perugino and Ghirlandaio he worked in Volterra at the Villa Spedaletto, which belonged to Lorenzo the Magnificent. Dates back to before 1487 famous painting Sandro Botticelli “Birth of Venus” (Florence, Uffizi), made for Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco. Together with the previously created “Spring”, it became a kind of iconic image, the personification of both the art of Botticelli and the refined culture of the Medicean court.

Sandro Botticelli. Birth of Venus. OK. 1485

The two best tondos (round paintings) by Botticelli date back to the 1480s - “Madonna Magnificat” and “Madonna with a Pomegranate” (both in Florence, Uffizi). The latter may have been intended for the audience hall in the Palazzo Vecchio.

It is believed that from the late 1480s, Sandro Botticelli was strongly influenced by the sermons of the Dominican Girolamo Savonarola, who denounced the practices of the contemporary Church and called for repentance. Vasari writes that Botticelli was a follower of Savonarola’s “sect” and even gave up painting and “fell into the greatest ruin.” Indeed, the tragic mood and elements of mysticism in many of the master’s later works testify in favor of such an opinion. At the same time, the wife of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco, in a letter dated November 25, 1495, reports that Botticelli was painting the Villa Medici in Trebbio with frescoes, and on July 2, 1497 from the same Lorenzo the artist receives a loan for the execution of decorative paintings at the Villa Castello (not preserved). In the same 1497, more than three hundred supporters of Savonarola signed a petition to Pope Alexander VI asking him to lift the excommunication from the Dominican. The name Sandro Botticelli was not found among these signatures. In March 1498, Guidantonio Vespucci invited Botticelli and Piero di Cosimo to decorate his new house on Via Servi. Among the paintings that adorned him were “The History of the Roman Virginia” (Bergamo, Accademia Carrara) and “The History of the Roman Lucretia” (Boston, Gardner Museum). Savonarola was burned that same year on May 29, and there is only one direct evidence of Botticelli's serious interest in his person. Almost two years later, on November 2, 1499, Sandro Botticelli's brother Simone wrote in his diary: “Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi, my brother, one of best artists, which were in these times in our city, in my presence, sitting at home by the fire, about three o’clock in the morning, I told how on that day, in his bottega in the house, Sandro talked with Doffo Spini about the case of Frate Girolamo.” Spini was the chief judge in the trial against Savonarola.

Sandro Botticelli. Lamentation of Christ (Entombment). OK. 1490

The most significant late works of Botticelli include two “Entombments” (both after 1500; Munich, Alte Pinakothek; Milan, Poldi Pezzoli Museum) and the famous “Mystical Nativity” (1501, London, National Gallery) - the only one signed and dated work of the artist. In them, especially in “Nativity,” they see Botticelli’s appeal to the techniques of medieval Gothic art, primarily in the violation of perspective and scale relationships.

Sandro Botticelli. Mystical Christmas. OK. 1490

However, the master's later works are not stylization. The use of forms and techniques alien to the Renaissance artistic method, is explained by the desire to enhance emotional and spiritual expressiveness, to convey which the artist did not have enough specifics real world. One of the most sensitive painters of the Quattrocento, Botticelli sensed the impending crisis of the humanistic culture of the Renaissance extremely early. In the 1520s, its onset will be marked by the emergence of the irrational and subjective art of mannerism.

One of the most interesting aspects of Sandro Botticelli's work is portraiture. In this area, he established himself as a brilliant master already at the end of the 1460s (“Portrait of a Man with a Medal,” 1466-1477, Florence, Uffizi; “Portrait of Giuliano de’ Medici,” c. 1475, Berlin, State Collections). In the master's best portraits, the spirituality and sophistication of the characters' appearances are combined with a kind of hermeticism, sometimes locking them in arrogant suffering (Portrait of a Young Man, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art).

Sandro Botticelli. Portrait young woman. After 1480

One of the most magnificent draftsmen of the 15th century, Botticelli, according to Vasari, painted a lot and “exceptionally well.” His drawings were extremely highly valued by his contemporaries, and they were kept as samples in many workshops of Florentine artists. Very few of them have survived to this day, but a unique series of illustrations for the “Divine Comedy” allows us to judge the skill of Botticelli as a draftsman. Dante. Executed on parchment, these drawings were intended for Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici. Sandro Botticelli turned to illustrating Dante twice. The first small group of drawings (not preserved) was made by him, apparently, in the late 1470s, and from it Baccio Baldini made nineteen engravings for the publication of the Divine Comedy in 1481. Botticelli’s most famous illustration to Dante is the drawing “Map of Hell” ( La mappa dell inferno).

Sandro Botticelli. Map of Hell (Circles of Hell - La mappa dell inferno). Illustration for Dante's "Divine Comedy". 1480s

Botticelli began completing the pages of the Medici Codex after returning from Rome, using partly his first compositions. 92 sheets have survived (85 in the Cabinet of Engravings in Berlin, 7 in the Vatican Library). The drawings were made with silver and lead pins, and the artist then outlined their thin gray line with brown or black ink. Four sheets are painted with tempera. On many sheets the inking is not completed or not done at all. It is these illustrations that make it especially clear to feel the beauty of Botticelli’s light, precise, nervous line.

Sandro Botticelli. Hell. Illustration for Dante's "Divine Comedy". 1480s

According to Vasari, Sandro Botticelli was “a very pleasant person and often liked to joke with his students and friends.” “They also say,” he writes further, “that above all he loved those whom he knew were diligent in their art, and that he earned a lot, but everything went to ruin for him, since he managed poorly and was careless. In the end, he became decrepit and incapacitated and walked leaning on two sticks...” About Botticelli’s financial situation in the 1490s, that is, at the time when, according to Vasari, he had to give up painting and go bankrupt under the influence of Savonarola’s sermons , partly allow us to judge documents from the State Archives of Florence. It follows from them that on April 19, 1494, Sandro Botticelli, together with his brother Simone, acquired a house with land and a vineyard outside the gates of San Frediano. The income from this property in 1498 was determined at 156 florins. True, since 1503 the master has been in debt for contributions to the Guild of St. Luke, but an entry dated October 18, 1505 reports that it was completely repaid. The fact that the elderly Botticelli continued to enjoy fame is also evidenced by a letter from Francesco dei Malatesti, agent of the ruler of Mantua, Isabella d'Este, who was looking for craftsmen to decorate her studiolo. On September 23, 1502, he informs her from Florence that Perugino is in Siena, Filippino Lippi too burdened with orders, but there is also Botticelli, who “we praise a lot.” The trip to Mantua did not take place for an unknown reason. In 1503, Ugolino Verino, in the poem “De ilrustratione urbis Florentiae,” named Sandro Botticelli among the best painters, comparing him with the famous artists of antiquity. - Zeuxis and Apelles. On January 25, 1504, the master was part of the commission discussing the choice of location for the installation of Michelangelo’s David. The last four and a half years of Sandro Botticelli’s life were not documented. They were the sad time of decrepitude and incapacity that Vasari wrote about. died in May 1510 and was buried on May 17 in the cemetery of the Ognisanti church, as reported by the records of the “Book of the Dead” of Florence and the same book of the guild of doctors and pharmacists.

Other works by Botticelli:“Madonna and Child” (c. 1466, Paris, Louvre), “Madonna and Child in Glory”, “Madonna del Roseto” (both 1469-1470, Florence, Uffizi), “Madonna and Child and St. John the Baptist" (c. 1468, Paris, Louvre), "Madonna and Child and Two Angels" (1468-1469, Naples, Capodimonte), "St. interview" (c. 1470, Florence, Uffizi), "Adoration of the Magi" (c. 1472, London, National Gallery), "Madonna of the Eucharist" (c. 1471, Boston, Gardner Museum), "Adoration of the Magi", tondo (c. . 1473, London, National Gallery), “Discovery of the Body of Holofernes”, “The Return of Judith to Bethulia” (both c. 1473, Florence, Uffizi), “Portrait of Giuliano de’ Medici” (Washington, National Gallery), “Portrait of a Young Man” (c. 1477, Paris, Louvre), “Madonna and Child and Angels”, tondo (c. 1477, Berlin, State Assembly), “Lorenzo Tornabuoni and the Seven Liberal Arts”, “Giovanna degli Albizzi and the Virtues” - frescoes of Villa Lemmi (1480, Paris, Louvre), “Portrait of a Woman” (1481-1482, London, private collection), “Adoration of the Magi” (1481-1482, Washington, National Gallery), “Pallas and the Centaur” (1480-1488, Florence, Uffizi), a series of four paintings based on Boccaccio’s novella about Nastagio degli Onesti (1483, three – Madrid, Prado, one – London, private collection), “Venus and Mars” (1483, London, National Gallery), “Portrait of a Boy” (1483, London, National Gallery), “Madonna and Child” (1483, Milan, Poldi Pezzoli Museum), “Madonna and Child and Two Saints” (1485, Berlin, State Collections), “Madonna and Child and Saints” ( “Fall of San Barnaba”), “Coronation of the Mother of God”, “Annunciation” (all - ca. 1490, Florence, Uffizi), “Portrait of Lorenzo Lorenziano” (c. 1490, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Academy), “Madonna and Child and St. John the Baptist" (c. 1490, Dresden, Old Masters Gallery), "Adoration of the Child" (c. 1490-1495, Edinburgh, National Gallery of Scotland), "St. Augustine" (1490-1500, Florence, Uffizi), "Slander" (1495, ibid.), "Madonna and Child and Angels", tondo (Milan, Pinacoteca Ambrosiana), "Annunciation" (Moscow, Pushkin Museum), "St. Jerome", "St. Dominic" (St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum), “Transfiguration” (c. 1495, Rome, Pallavicini collection), “Abandoned” (c. 1495, Rome, Rospigliosi collection), “Judith with the head of Holofernes” (c. 1495, Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum), four compositions on the theme stories of St. Zenobia (1495-1500; two – London, National Gallery, one – New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, one – Dresden, Old Masters Art Gallery), “Prayer of the Cup” (c. 1499, Granada, Royal Chapel), “Symbolic Crucifixion" (1500-1505, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Fogg Art Museum).

Literature about Botticelli: Vasari 2001. T. 2; Dakhnovich A. S. Botticelli's work and eternal questions. Kyiv, 1915; Bernson B. Florentine Renaissance painters. M., 1923; Grashchenkov V. N. Botticelli. M., 1960; Botticelli: Sat. materials about creativity. M., 1962; Paslo D. Botticelli. Budapest, 1962; Smirnova I. Sandro Botticelli. M., 1967; Kustodieva T.K. Sandro Botticelli. L., 1971; Dunaev G. S. Sandro Botticelli. M., 1977; Kozlova S. Dante and the artists of the Renaissance // Dante readings. M., 1982; Sonina T.V.“Spring” by Botticelli // Italian collection. St. Petersburg, 1996. Issue. 1; Sonina T.V. Botticelli’s drawings for Dante’s “Divine Comedy”: Traditional and original // Book in Renaissance culture. M., 2002; Ulmann H. Sandro Botticelli. Munich, 1893; Warburg A. Botticellis "Geburt der Venus" und Frühling": Eine Untersuchung über die Vorschtellungen von der Antike in der italienischen Frührenaissance. Hamburg; Leipzig, 1893; SupinoL I disegni per la "Divina Commedia" di Dante. Bologna, 1921; Venturi A. II Botticelli interprete di Dante. Firenze, 1921; Mesnil J. Sandro Botticelli. Paris, 1938; Lippmann F. Zeichnungen von Sandro Botticelli zu Dantes Göttlicher Komödie. Berlin, 1954; Salvini R. Tutta la pittura del Botticelli. Milano, 1958; ArgonG.C. Sandro Botticelli. Geneva, 1967; In C, Mandel G. L "opera completa del Botticelli. Milano, 1967; Ettlinger L. D., Ettlinger H. S. Botticelli. London, 1976; Lightbown R. Sandro Botticelli: Compi, cat. London, 1978; Baldini U. Botticelli. Firenze, 1988; Pons N. Botticelli: Cat. compi. Milano, 1989; Botticelli e Dante. Milano, 1990; Gemeva C. Botticelli: Cat. compi. Firenze, 1990; Botticelli. From Lorenzo the Magnificent to Savonarola. Milano, 2003.

Based on materials from an article by T. Sonina

The world of Botticelli's creativity is diverse. In the next message I I want to dwell on that side of his work that concerns portraits of his contemporaries. I must say that this area is least reflected on the Internet and I could not find descriptions of a large number of portraits he painted, so I will only focus on what I know. If community readers have additional information, I will be glad to see it in the comments, and I will also be glad to see new links to sources of information.

So let's start the story.

Even in his early youth, Sandro Botticelli acquired considerable experience in painting portraits. In that era in Italy, a portrait for an artist was like a test of skill. Excellent portrait characteristics give us the opportunity to get to know the Medici family, their court philosophers and poets, members of the city council and other representatives of society.

Portrait of a Young Man, circa 1469, Galleria Palatina (Pitti Palace), Florence, Italy

The portrait is probably of Gianlorenzo de' Medici and is one of Botticelli's first commissioned works. Judging by the hairstyle and clothing, the portrait was painted no later than 1469.

In the next portrait, which entered the Louvre collection in 1888 and belongs to the works young Botticelli, also depicts a young man, apparently from environment of the Medici family. The composition of the picture is extremely clear. Against a simple ocher background, the young man’s dark suit and hair stand out in clear silhouette. The complexion is only slightly lighter than the background. The artist uses chiaroscuro very sparingly as a modeling tool. He resolutely rejects deep shadows, which are more capable of conveying a sense of physicality. The light in his portrait is diffused and does not create such harsh shadows. During this period of Botticelli's work, his main task was to find the embodiment of eternal beauty.

Portrait of a man, Louvre, Paris

During the same period, the “Portrait of a Lady” was painted, which most likely depicts Smeralda Brandini.

Portrait of a Lady, 1470-1475, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England

The period after 1475 was particularly fruitful for Botticelli in terms of his portraiture. During this period, his works such as " Portrait of a man with a medal", "Portrait of a young woman" "Portrait of Giuliano Medici"

In "Portrait of a Man with a Medal" we see a young man holding a medal with the image of Cosimo Medici the Elder, called the Father of the Fatherland.

1475, Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

This portrait is unusual because its main detail is the medal, which depicts Cosimo de' Medici, who ruled Florence during the era of its highest artistic flowering. Although little information remains about Botticelli's work for the Medici, there is no doubt that he, one of the most famous artists in Florence, enjoyed their patronage. He placed portraits of Cosimo and other members of the family in the Adoration of the Magi, commissioned by Gaspare di Zanobi del Lama. However, this portrait is also unusual because of its individuality in an era when portraiture still existed as part of a multi-figure fresco. The identity of the man depicted here remains unknown. According to researchers, this is Bertoldo di Giovanni, a colleague of Sandro Botticelli's brother. The medal is a plaster cast and gilded replica of a medal cast in honor of Cosimo around 1465. During the preparation of the board for painting, a round protrusion was left on it, on which a plaster mold was placed.

Portrait of a Young Woman, 1475, Galleria Palatina (Pitti Palace), Florence, Italy

There are several versions about the identity of this young woman (Simonetta Vespucci, Clarice Orsini, Fioretta Gorini, etc.). The painting has been partially repainted. Clothes sleeve closes left hand in a very unnatural way.

Most researchers consider this austere, brown portrait of a young woman to be an image of Giuliano de' Medici's beloved Simonetta Vespucci. The image looks much more gloomy than in the other alleged portrait of Simonetta and hardly corresponds to the great passion described in Poliziano’s poem “The Tournament” - the passion of Giuliano, who organized a real knightly competition in honor of Simonetta. It seems that none of these portraits actually depict her: Simonetta was so beautiful that Botticelli wanted to capture the beauty of a woman who had already died by that time in his painting “Spring”. Vasari added to the confusion surrounding the portraits of Simonetta by reporting that in Cosimo de' Medici's dressing room there were two images of women - Simonetta and Lorenzo de' Medici's wife.

A portrait of Giuliano de' Medici was also painted at this time. WITHit is read that this is the most similar portrait of Giuliano. Written after his death. This is indicated by the symbols of death (a dove sitting on a dry branch and a half-open door).

Portrait of Giuliano de' Medici, circa 1478, National Gallery of Art, Washington

On the other hand, in Bergamo, Accademia Carraro, Italy, there is a very similar portrait of Giuliano de' Medici.

Portrait of Giuliano de' Medici, 1476-78, Bergamo, Accademia Carraro, Italy

Art historians have questioned whether this portrait actually depicts Giuliano, who was killed during the Pazzi plot's attack on the Medici brothers while praying in the cathedral in 1478. The profile does not resemble either the portrait of Giuliano included in del Lama's Adoration of the Magi, or his posthumous medal. However, rumor has always considered this painting to be a portrait of Giuliano; there are even several copies of it, apparently dating back to the nineteenth century and also considered to be images of the prince. They talked about Giuliano's love for Simonetta Vespucci, the wife of his friend, but here we could be talking about idealized love that does not require possession, the same as Dante's passion for Beatrice or Petrarch for Laura.

Botticelli's most famous portraits include "Portrait of a Young Woman", which is usually attributed to the image of Simonetta Vespucci.

Portrait of a young woman, after 1480, National Museum of Art, Berlin, Germany

It depicts Simonetta Caetano (1453, Genoa or Portovenere - 26.4.1476, Florence). In 1468, after marrying Marco Vespucci, cousin of the famous navigator Amerigo Vespucci, she moved to Florence. In 1475, during a knightly tournament, she met Giuliano Medici, whose mistress she soon became. For her beauty she received the title "Incomparable". She was admired by artists and princes, but she died very young, so she remained in the memory of descendants as symbols of eternal youth. There is a version that it was she who served as the model for Sandro Botticelli’s painting “The Birth of Venus.” However, most of her portraits were painted after her death. I have already cited one of her portraits in a post about the work of Piero di Cosimo.

Many researchers also attribute another portrait of Botticelli to the image of Simonetta Vespucci.

Portrait of a young woman, 1475-80, National Museum of Art, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Wikipedia gives this description of this picture. "Portrait of a Young Woman" (Italian) Ritratto di dama ) is a painting by the painter of the Tuscan school Sandro Botticelli, painted in 1480-1485. The portrait is kept at the Städel Institute of Art in Frankfurt am Main.

It is assumed that the model of the young woman depicted in the painting is Simonetta Vespucci - one of the most beautiful women era of the Florentine Renaissance. The medallion on the woman's neck indicates a connection with the Medici family, as it is established that the cameo in the medallion is from the Medici gem collection. However, even if the model was Simonetta Vespucci, Botticelli did not create a portrait of her in the strict sense of the word, but a portrait of an “ideal woman,” the embodiment of a certain mythological image.

Around the same time that Botticelli was working on the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel in Rome, he painted several youthful portraits, including this one of a young man wearing a red headdress.

The identities of the models have not been established; These were probably artists who worked next to Botticelli or his Roman friends. The portraits give the impression of being painted from life, and the direct, open gaze indicates a close acquaintance of the subjects with the artist. Unlike portraits that demonstrate the social status or personality of the client, these surprise the viewer with the feeling of ease of the models, not caring about how they will appear in the picture.

I will give here a reproduction of another portrait from this series.

Portrait of a Young Man, 1489-90, National Gallery of Art, Washington

I can’t help but cite another “Portrait of a Man”, painted by Botticelli in later years. From it you can trace how the artist’s style changed from his youthful works to his mature ones.