Sandro BotticelliSandro Botticelli was born in about 1445/46 and details of his childhood and early life remain sparse. He was apprenticed to Fra Filippo Lippi who was yet another Florentine artist. It is thought that Botticelli had been trained as a goldsmith by his brother Antonio. By 1470 Botticelli had his own workshop and became a member of St Lukes Guild. His "Adoration of the Magi", painted in 1475, includes several of the Medici family within the picture and emphasises the importance of the Medici as patrons of the art's in Renaissance Italy.
"Adoration of the Magi"
"Primavera" is hailed as one of the artist's greatest works and dates from 1478.
"Primavera"(1478) (w)
"Venus and Mars". Botticelli's most famous work is the much copied "Birth of Venus" 1485.This masterpiece was painted for the villa of Lorenzo Medici and is now in the Uffizi in Florence. From 1481 to 1482 Botticelli worked on the decoration of the Sistine Chapel, his contribution was a series of fresco's on the left wall, "Events of the life of Moses" "The Temptation of Christ" and "The Punishment of Korah". He also worked on a printed version of the Inferno by Dante. Botticelli fell under the influence of the preaching monk Savonarola. He became an ardent follower, and there is a story that he destroyed some of his paintings in Savonarola's notorious Bonfire of the Vanities on February 7th 1497, (the ritual of burning objects of sin, such as songs, books, manuscripts and artwork deemed to be immoral). Savonarola, after being condemned as a heretic and then excommunicated by Pope Alexander VI, was eventually burned to death in Florence on May 23rd 1498.
"The Birth of Venus"
"The Mystical Nativity" 1500-1501 In 1504 the artist was appointed to the committee to decide on a site for Michelangelo's statue of David, he had also served on the committee todecide the facade for the Cathedral in Florence. Sandro Botticelli died on May 17th 1510 in Florence and the details of the last part of his live remain a mystery. After his death much of his art was overlooked only becoming prominent again in the nineteenth century.
From Sandro Botticelli to Early Renaissance History.
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