At the height of his fame, the Florentine painter and draughtsman Sandro Botticelli (born c1445 - died 1510) was one of the most esteemed artists in Italy. His graceful pictures of the Madonna and Child, his altarpieces and his life-size mythological paintings, such as "Venus and Mars" were immensely popular in his lifetime.
The period from 1478-90 saw Botticelli at his most creative. This was the period during which he produced his famous mythological works, such as 'The Birth of Venus' (in the Uffizi, Florence) and "Venus and Mars". In these he successfully combined a decorative use of line (possibly owing much to his early training as a goldsmith) with elements of the classical tradition, seen in the harmony of his composition and the supple contours of his figures.
During the last 15 years of his life, Botticelli's work appeared to undergo a crisis of style and expression.
The 1490s was a turbulent decade - the Medici had been expelled from Florence and Italy's peace disrupted by invasion and plagues. Botticelli rejected the ornamental charm of his earlier works in favour of a more simplistic approach that seemed crude and heavy-handed by contrast. These later paintings, with their deep moral and religious overtones, also suffered a comparison with the sophisticated aesthetic of artists such as Michelangelo and Raphael. After his death, his name all but disappeared until the late 19th century, when a developing appreciation for Florentine arts and culture brought about a renewed interest in his work.
For a more in-depth biography, and for earlier works, see part I also.
This is part 2 of a 6-part series on the works of Sandro Botticelli:
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| 1475 Adoration of the Magi tempera on panel 107.5 x 173 cm Uffizi Gallery, Florence |
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| 1475 Adoration of the Magi (detail) tempera on panel 107.5 x 173 cm Uffizi Gallery, Florence |
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| 1475 Adoration of the Magi (detail) tempera on panel 107.5 x 173 cm Uffizi Gallery, Florence |
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| 1475-80 Saint Francis of Assisi with Angels tempera and oil on wood 49.5 x 31.8 cm The National Galley, London |
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| 1475-85 Virgin and Child with an Angel tempera on panel 85.8 x 50.1 cm Art Institute of Chicago, IL |
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| c1475-1510 The Virgin and Child tempera on wood 83.2 x 64.8 cm The National Gallery, London |
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| 1476-77 The Birth of Christ fresco 200 x 300 cm Santa Maria Novella, Florence |
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| 1478-80 Giuliano de' Medici tempera on panel 75.5 x 52.5 cm National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC |
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| c1478 Giuliano de' Medici tempera on poplar panel 57.1 x 38.4 cm Gemäldergalerie, Berlin |
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| c1478 Giuliano de' Medici tempera on panel 60 x 39 cm Accademia Carrara, Bergamo |
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| c1477 Madonna of the Sea tempera on wood panel 40 x 28 cm Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence |
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| c1478-82 Adoration of the Magi tempera and oil on panel 700 x 1042 cm National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC |
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| c1478-82 Adoration of the Magi detail tempera and oil on panel 700 x 1042 cm National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC |
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| c1478-82 Adoration of the Magi detail tempera and oil on panel 700 x 1042 cm National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC |
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| c1478 Mary with the Child and Singing Angels oil on poplar wood panel 136.5 diameter Gemäldegalerie, Berlin |
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| after 1480 Portrait of a Young Woman oil on wood panel 47.5 x 35 cm Staatliche Museen, Berlin |
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| 1480 St. Augustine fresco 152 x 112 cm Church of Ognissanti, Florence |
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| 1480 The Virgin and Child (The Madonna of the Book) tempera on panel 58 x 39.6 cm Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Milan, Italy |
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| 1480-85 Allegory of Abundance pen, brown ink, brown wash over black chalk and pink tinted paper 31.7 x 25.3 cm The British Museum, London |
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| 1480-85 Portrait of a Young Woman tempera on poplar wood panel 82 x 54 cm Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt |
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| c1480-85 Portrait of a Young Man tempera and oil on wood 37.5 x 28.3 cm The National Gallery, London |
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| 1480-90 The Virgin Adoring the Child tempera on poplar wood panel 58.9 cm diameter National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC |
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| c1480-1500 The Virgin and Child with a Pomegranate (Workshop of Botticelli) tempera on wood panel 67.9 x 52.7 cm The National Gallery, London |
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| c1480 Spring tempera grassa on wood panel 207 x 319 cm Uffizi Gallery, Florence |
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| c1480 Spring detail tempera grassa on wood panel 207 x 319 cm Uffizi Gallery, Florence |
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| c1480 Spring detail tempera grassa on wood panel 207 x 319 cm Uffizi Gallery, Florence |
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| c1480 The Resurrected Christ tempera? on wood panel 45.7 x 29.8 cm Detroit Institute of Arts, IL |
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| 1480s St John the Baptist pen with bistre on pink paper 36 x 15.5 cm Uffizi Gallery, Florence |
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| 1481 Annunciation detached fresco 243 x 555 cm Uffizi Gallery, Florence |
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| 1481 Annunciation detail detached fresco 243 x 555 cm Uffizi Gallery, Florence |
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| 1481 Annunciation detail detached fresco 243 x 555 cm Uffizi Gallery, Florence |
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| 1481 St Sixtus II fresco 210 x 89 cm Sistine Cahoel, Vatican City, Rome |
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| 1481-82 Events in the Life of Moses fresco 348.5 x 558 cm Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Rome |
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| 1481-82 Events in the Life of Moses detail fresco 348.5 x 558 cm Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Rome |
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| 1481-82 Events in the Life of Moses detail fresco 348.5 x 558 cm Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Rome |
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| 1481-84 The Punishment of Korah and the Stoning of Moses and Aaron fresco 348.5 x 570 cm Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Rome |
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| 1481-84 The Punishment of Korah and the Stoning of Moses and Aaron detail fresco 348.5 x 570 cm Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Rome |
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| 1481-84 The Punishment of Korah and the Stoning of Moses and Aaron detail fresco 348.5 x 570 cm Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Rome |
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| 1482-83 Portrait of a Young Man tempera on panel 41 x 31 cm National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC |
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| c1482-98 The Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist (Workshop of Botticelli) tempera and oil on wood 95.3 x 94 cm The National Gallery, London |
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| c1482 Pallas and the Centaur tempera on canvas 207 x 148 cm Uffizi Gallery, Florence |
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