Wednesday 21 June 2023

Sandro Botticelli - part 6

 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 - 5 also.


This is part 6 of a 6-part series on the works of Sandro Botticelli:


c1500 Mystic Crucifixion
tempera and oil on canvas
(transferred from panel) 72.4 x 51.4 cm
Harvard Art Museums, MA

c1500 The Adoration of the Christ Child 
oil on wood panel 120.7 x 120.7 cm
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas

c1500 The Transfiguration, St Jerome and St Augustine
tempera on panel 28 x 36 cm

c1500 Three Miracles of Saint Zenobius
tempera on wood panel 64.8 x 139.7 cm
The National Gallery, London

c1500 Three Miracles of Saint Zenobius detail
tempera on wood panel 64.8 x 139.7 cm
The National Gallery, London

c1500 Three Miracles of Saint Zenobius detail
tempera on wood panel 64.8 x 139.7 cm
The National Gallery, London

c1500 Three Miracles of Saint Zenobius detail
tempera on wood panel 64.8 x 139.7 cm
The National Gallery, London

c1500 Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist
tempera on panel 123.8 x 84.4 cm
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA

1504 Adoration of the Magi
tempera on panel 170.5 x 173 cm
Uffizi Gallery, Florence


Note: Dates not found for the remainder of these posts
(many of these works are in private collections rather than museums):

Christ on the Cross adored by Saints Monica, Augustine, Mary Magdalen, Jerome and Bridget of Sweden
 oil on panel 76.2 x 91.4 cm

Head of a Saint
medium? on wood panel 45.4 x 33.3 cm
 Detroit Institute of Arts, IL

Madonna adoring the Christ Child with the young Saint John the Baptist
tempera and oil on panel 116.2 cm diameter

Madonna and Child by Workshop of Botticelli
oil on canvas 86.7 x 59 cm

Madonna and Child by Workshop of Botticelli
oil on panel 74.3 x 53.3 cm

Madonna and Child enthroned with Saint John the Baptist and an Angel
tempera on panel (details not given)

Madonna and Child in a Niche by Studio of Botticelli
tempera, oil and gold on panel 81.3 x 55.2 cm

Madonna and Child
oil on panel (details not given)

Madonna and Child
oil on panel 76.9 x 49.1 cm

Madonna and Child
tempera and oil on panel 35.5 cm diameter
Madonna and Child with a Goldfinch
 tempera, oil and gold on panel 74.3 x 40.6 cm

Madonna and Child with the Crown of Thorns and three Nails
oil and gold on panel 66.6 x 51.4 cm

Madonna and Child with the infant Saint John the Baptist
attributed to Botticelli
tempera and oil on panel 54.4 x 41.6 cm

Madonna and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist
workshop of Botticelli
oil on panel 69 cm diameter

Madonna and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist
oil on panel (details not given)

Madonna and Child with the young St John
by Workshop of Botticelli
tempera on panel

Madonna and Child with Two Angels
attributed to Botticelli 
tempera on wood 99.7 x 71.1 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Madonna and Child with two Angels
by Workshop of Botticelli
tempera and oil on panel 83.3 cm diameter

Madonna and Child with Young Saint John the Baptist
tempera, oil and gold on panel 46.3 x 36.8 cm

Madonna and Child, with a Pomegranate
oil and tempera on arched panel 100 x 65.1 cm

Madonna of the Eucharist
by workshop of Botticelli tempera, oil and gold on poplar panel 93.4 x 66.7 cm

Praying Madonna by School of Sandro Botticelli
tempera
Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

Profile Portrait of a Woman
tempera on panel (details not given)

Saint John the Baptist (a fragment)
by workshop of Botticelli
 oil on panel 33.2 x 24.5 cm

Saint John the Baptist
medium? on panel 35 x 13.3 cm
National Galleries Scotland, UK

Saint Lawrence by Workshop of Botticelli
fresco transferred to canvas 113.3 x 83.9 cm

The Baptism of Christ
tempera on panel (details not given)

The Holy Family with the infant St. John the Baptist
by Workshop of Botticelli
oil on panel 90.2 cm diameter
The Faringdon Collection at Buscot Park, Oxfordshire

The Man of Sorrows
tempera and oil on panel 69 x 51.4 cm

The Nativity
oil on panel (details not given)

The Resurrection by Botticelli and Workshop
tempera on panel, transferred to canvas 132.1 x 106.3 cm 

The Virgin and Saint John the Baptist adoring the Infant Christ
medium? on panel 46.6 x 41.6 cm
National Galleries Scotland, UK

Virgin and Child supported by an Angel under a Garland
tempera on wood panel 112 x 74 cm
Palais Fesch Musée des Beaux-Arts, Ajaccio, France

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