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 see part 1, and for earlier works, see parts I - 4 also.
This is part 5 of a 6-part series on the works of Sandro Botticelli:
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| 1495-48 The Annunciation tempera on canvas 45 x 13 cm Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow |
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| 1495-1500 Head of an Angel oil on panel, transferred to canvas, laid down on panel 42 x 32 cm Private Collection |
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| 1495-1500 Judith leaving the Tent of Holofernes tempera on panel 36.5 x 20 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam |
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| c1495-1505 The Descent of the Holy Ghost oil on panel 207 x 229.8 cm Birmingham Museums Trust, UK |
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| c1495 Adoration of the Child pen shaded with brown, white heightening and pink wash 16.1 x 25.8 cm Uffizi Gallery, Florence |
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| c1495 Madonna and Child with St. John the Baptist and St. Mary Magdalene tempera on wood panel 71.1 x 51.1 cm Newfields. Indianapolis, Indiana |
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| c1495 The Lamentation over the dead Christ tempera on panel 107 x 71 cm Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Milan |
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| c1495 The Lamentation over the dead Christ detail tempera on panel 107 x 71 cm Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Milan |
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| c1495 The Last Communion of St Jerome tempera on panel 34.5 x 25.4 cm Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1496-1504 The Story of Lucretia tempera and oil on panel 84 x 180 cm Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, MA |
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| 1496-1504 The Story of Lucretia detail tempera and oil on panel 84 x 180 cm Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, MA |
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| 1496-1505 The Story of Virginia tempera on panel 85 x 165 cm Accademia Carrara, Bergamo |
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| 1496-1505 The Story of Virginia detail tempera on panel 85 x 165 cm Accademia Carrara, Bergamo |
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| 1496-1505 The Story of Virginia detail tempera on panel 85 x 165 cm Accademia Carrara, Bergamo |
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| c1497-1500 Judith with the Head of Holofernes tempera, oil and gilding on panel 36.5 x 20 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam |
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| c1497 Crucifixion tempera on canvas 73.5 x 50.8 cm Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA |
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| 1498-1505 St Dominic tempera on canvas, transferred from panel Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, Russia |
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| c1500 Adoration of the Magi tempera on panel 108 x 173 cm Uffizin Gallery, Florence |
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| c1500 Adoration of the Magi detail tempera on panel 108 x 173 cm Uffizin Gallery, Florence |
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| c1500 Adoration of the Magi detail tempera on panel 108 x 173 cm Uffizin Gallery, Florence |
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| c1500 Agony in the Garden tempera on panel 53 x 35 cm Museo de la Capilla Real, Granada |
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| c1500 Christ Crowned with Thorns tempera on panel 47.6 x 32.3 cm Accademia Carrara, Bergamo |
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| c1500 Baptism of St Zenobius and his Appointment as Bishop tempera on panel 66.5 x 149.5 cm The National Gallery, London |
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| c1500 Baptism of St Zenobius and his Appointment as Bishop detail |
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| c1500 Baptism of St Zenobius and his Appointment as Bishop detail |
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| c1500 Baptism of St Zenobius and his Appointment as Bishop detail |
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| c1500 Last Miracle and the Death of St Zenobius tempera on panel 66 x 182 cm Gemäldegalerie, Dresden |
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| c1500 Last Miracle and the Death of St Zenobius detail tempera on panel 66 x 182 cm Gemäldegalerie, Dresden |
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| c1500 Last Miracle and the Death of St Zenobius detail tempera on panel 66 x 182 cm Gemäldegalerie, Dresden |
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| c1500 Last Miracle and the Death of St Zenobius detail tempera on panel 66 x 182 cm Gemäldegalerie, Dresden |
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| c1500 Three Miracles of Saint Zenobius tempera on wood 64.8 x 139.7 cm The National Gallery, London |
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| c1500 Three Miracles of Saint Zenobius detail tempera on wood 64.8 x 139.7 cm The National Gallery, London |
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| c1500 Three Miracles of Saint Zenobius detail tempera on wood 64.8 x 139.7 cm The National Gallery, London |
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| c1500 Three Miracles of Saint Zenobius detail tempera on wood 64.8 x 139.7 cm The National Gallery, London |
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| c1500 Three Miracles of St Zenobius tempera on panel 67.3 x 150.5 cm The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| c1500 Three Miracles of St Zenobius detail tempera on panel 67.3 x 150.5 cm The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| c1500 Three Miracles of St Zenobius detail tempera on panel 67.3 x 150.5 cm The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| c1500 Three Miracles of St Zenobius detail tempera on panel 67.3 x 150.5 cm The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| c1500 The Mystical Nativity tempera on canvas 109 x 75 cm The National Gallery, London |
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| c1500 The Mystical Nativity detail tempera on canvas 109 x 75 cm The National Gallery, London |
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| c1500 The Mystical Nativity detail tempera on canvas 109 x 75 cm The National Gallery, London |
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| c1500 Christ on the Cross tempera on panel 55.5 x 40 cm Portland Art Museum, Oregon |
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