Sandro Botticelli

Sandro Botticelli was a well-known Renaissance painter who was known for his mastery of color and reinterpretation of antique imagery. Botticelli was a brilliant artist whose paintings concentrated on both religious subjects and mythological situations. He is regarded as the best humanist painter to emerge from the Renaissance. Throughout his career, he was best renowned for his religious altarpieces, although some of his most iconic works featured legendary figures. This is demonstrated in his most renowned painting, The Birth of Venus (1484 - 1486)

Botticelli reworked scenes of traditional figures and classical mythology by combining color, form, and perspective to create religious masterpieces that generated a remarkable type of visual poetry. As a result, his artworks were frequently vulnerable to numerous interpretations, as Botticelli frequently mixed a variety of settings and concepts.

Another distinguishing element of his was the suspension of disbelief he instilled in viewers, as Botticelli manipulated perspective in such a way that his figures had the artificial quality of not totally belonging to reality.

Botticelli began his apprenticeship with Fra Filippo, where he learned how to paint frescos. This led to him painting for several churches, and thanks to Filippo's connections, Botticelli got financial backing from Florence's most powerful families. Botticelli's popularity grew as a result of his work for churches, and he was requested by the Pope to paint a fresco on the walls of the iconic Sistine Chapel.

Botticelli was in high demand throughout his career, attempting to convey as much beauty and virtue as possible in his paintings. Botticelli was regarded as a painting genius during his lifetime because of his mastery of depicting anatomy, perspective, and emotions. He also worked hard to achieve a cohesive effect when viewing his works, which added to their visual brightness and an ornamental appeal. His departure from the boundaries of classical art inspired later Renaissance painters who looked to mythology for inspiration as well.

Botticelli's paintings, inspired by a renewed interest in Greek and Roman concepts in art, represented the apex of the Renaissance's cultural blossoming.

He was one of the first Western artists since antiquity to represent non-religious subject matter in his paintings, believing that art might be created for pleasure rather than religious goals. Despite his fame, Botticelli's reputation began to deteriorate after his death. His works are now being recognized by both critics and the general audience.

Lifespan: 1445 – 1510

Nationality: Italian

Art Movements: Renaissance

Most Famous Artworks

• Adoration of the Magi (1475 – 1476)
• Primavera (1477 – 1482)
• The Birth of Venus (1484 – 1486)