How are you?
On every Thursday, I am
introducing the stories about various artists and their paintings with the
title “Interesting Art Stories”.
The 27th story for this week is “Primavera”
by the Italian Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli.
Self portrait, Sandro Botticelli
“Primavera”
is a large-sized painting in tempera paint by the Italian Renaissance painter
Sandro Botticelli in the late 1470s or early 1480s. It is "one of the most
written about and most controversial paintings in the world" and also
"one of the most popular paintings in Western art."
This painting depicts the
classical mythical characters in a garden, but no story has yet been found that
unites these specific characters together.
Most critics agree that this
painting is an allegory based on the prosperous growth of spring, but
explanations of its exact meaning vary, although many include the Renaissance
Neoplatonism that fascinated the intellectual group in Florence at the time.
Around 1550, the painter and art historian Giorgio Vasari, who saw this
painting at Villa Castello, just outside Florence, first described it as
“Primavera”.
Giorgio Vasari
This painting shows six
women and two men with a cupid in an orange forest.
Looking at the characters
from right to left in this painting: at far right, Zephyrus, biting wind of
March, kidnaps and possesses the nymph Chloris, holding by his hand. Zephyrus
then marries her and transforms her into a divine being. She becomes the
goddess of Spring, eternal bearer of life. In this painting, the nymph Chloris
overlaps Flora, the goddess she transforms into.
Zephyrus and Chloris, William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1875)
Flora, Titian (1515)
In the center is Venus, who
stands slightly back from the other figures, wearing a red veil and catching
the attention of viewers. Cupid above her is blindfolded and aims his bow to
the left.
Venus, Frans Floris, Hallwyl Museum
Cupid breaking his bow, Jean Ducamps (c. 1635)
On the left side of the painting, the Three Graces, dressed in
diaphanous white, hold hands and dance. At the far left, Mercury, dressed in
red with a sword and helmet, raises his caduceus or wooden rod.
The Three Graces, Carle van Loo (1763)
Mercury, Hendrik Goltzius
In this painting, the
interactions between the characters are still enigmatic. Zephyrus and Chloris
are looking at each other. Flora and Venus are looking at viewers, the Cupid is
blindfolded, and Mercury is turning his back on the others and looking up at
the clouds. Among the Three Graces, the central Grace is looking at Mercury,
and Flora shows smile that was very unusual in the paintings of the time.
The scenery in this painting
is elaborately drawn. There are 500 identified plant species, including about
190 different flowers, of which at least 130 can be specifically identified.
The overall appearance and size of this painting is similar to that of the
millefleur ("thousand flower") that was popular in the Flemish
tapestries, popular decorations for palaces at the time.
Tapestry "The Triumph of Death, or the Three Fates" with a typical millefleurs background, Flemish (c. 1510–20)
Although it is known that
the two paintings are not a pair, this painting is inevitably discussed with
Botticelli's other large-scale mythological painting, “The Birth of Venus”,
also in the Uffizi. Both paintings are among the most famous paintings in the
world and icons of the Italian Renaissance.
The Birth of Venus, Sandro Botticelli (c. 1484–1486)
The history of this painting
is not clearly known, and it may have been commissioned by one of the Medici
family, but the certainty of its commission is unknown.
Since 1919 this
painting has been in the possession of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.
View of hallway, Uffizi Gallery
Thank you.
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