Sandro Botticelli - part 2

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:

1475 Adoration of the Magi
tempera on panel 107.5 x 173 cm
Uffizi Gallery, Florence

1475 Adoration of the Magi (detail)
tempera on panel 107.5 x 173 cm
Uffizi Gallery, Florence

1475 Adoration of the Magi (detail)
tempera on panel 107.5 x 173 cm
Uffizi Gallery, Florence

1475-80 Saint Francis of Assisi with Angels
tempera and oil on wood 49.5 x 31.8 cm
The National Galley, London

1475-85 Virgin and Child with an Angel
tempera on panel 85.8 x 50.1 cm
Art Institute of Chicago, IL

c1475-1510 The Virgin and Child
 tempera on wood 83.2 x 64.8 cm
The National Gallery, London

1476-77 The Birth of Christ
fresco 200 x 300 cm
Santa Maria Novella, Florence

1478-80 Giuliano de' Medici
tempera on panel 75.5 x 52.5 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

c1478 Giuliano de' Medici
tempera on poplar panel 57.1 x 38.4 cm
Gemäldergalerie, Berlin

c1478 Giuliano de' Medici
tempera on panel 60 x 39 cm
Accademia Carrara, Bergamo

c1477 Madonna of the Sea
tempera on wood panel 40 x 28 cm
Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence

c1478-82 Adoration of the Magi
tempera and oil on panel 700 x 1042 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

c1478-82 Adoration of the Magi detail
tempera and oil on panel 700 x 1042 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

c1478-82 Adoration of the Magi detail
tempera and oil on panel 700 x 1042 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

c1478 Mary with the Child and Singing Angels
oil on poplar wood panel 136.5 diameter
Gemäldegalerie, Berlin

after 1480 Portrait of a Young Woman
oil on wood panel 47.5 x 35 cm
Staatliche Museen, Berlin

1480 St. Augustine
fresco 152 x 112 cm
Church of Ognissanti, Florence

1480 The Virgin and Child
(The Madonna of the Book)
tempera on panel 58 x 39.6 cm
Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Milan, Italy

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

1480-85 Portrait of a Young Woman
tempera on poplar wood panel 82 x 54 cm
Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt

c1480-85 Portrait of a Young Man
tempera and oil on wood 37.5 x 28.3 cm
The National Gallery, London

1480-90 The Virgin Adoring the Child
tempera on poplar wood panel 58.9 cm diameter
National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

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

c1480 Spring
tempera grassa on wood panel 207 x 319 cm
Uffizi Gallery, Florence

c1480 Spring detail
tempera grassa on wood panel 207 x 319 cm
Uffizi Gallery, Florence

c1480 Spring detail
tempera grassa on wood panel 207 x 319 cm
Uffizi Gallery, Florence

c1480 The Resurrected Christ
tempera? on wood panel 45.7 x 29.8 cm
Detroit Institute of Arts, IL

1480s St John the Baptist
pen with bistre on pink paper 36 x 15.5 cm
Uffizi Gallery, Florence

1481 Annunciation
detached fresco 243 x 555 cm
Uffizi Gallery, Florence

1481 Annunciation detail
detached fresco 243 x 555 cm
Uffizi Gallery, Florence

1481 Annunciation detail
detached fresco 243 x 555 cm
Uffizi Gallery, Florence

1481 St Sixtus II
fresco 210 x 89 cm
Sistine Cahoel, Vatican City, Rome

1481-82 Events in the Life of Moses
fresco 348.5 x 558 cm
Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Rome

1481-82 Events in the Life of Moses detail
fresco 348.5 x 558 cm
Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Rome

1481-82 Events in the Life of Moses detail
fresco 348.5 x 558 cm
Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Rome

1481-84 The Punishment of Korah and the Stoning of Moses and Aaron
fresco 348.5 x 570 cm
Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Rome

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

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

1482-83 Portrait of a Young Man
tempera on panel 41 x 31 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

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

c1482 Pallas and the Centaur
tempera on canvas 207 x 148 cm
Uffizi Gallery, Florence