Inspired by Sandro Botticelli

Botticelli, whose full name is Sandro Botticelli, was an Italian artist who lived during the golden age of the Renaissance, in the second half of the 15th century. Born into a working-class family, Botticelli, whose nickname means "little barrel", first trained as a goldsmith and began his apprenticeship in painting at the age of fourteen. Apprentice to Fra Filippo Lippi, a famous Florentine painter, Botticelli quickly gained the good graces of the powerful Medici family, who would become one of the artist's greatest patrons during his career. 

The Renaissance was a fervent period of cultural, artistic, political and economic "rebirth" in Europe after the Middle Ages. Generally dated to a period between the 14th and 17th centuries, the Renaissance fostered the rediscovery of classical philosophy, literature and art linked to Ancient Greece.

Boticelli's two greatest masterpieces are The Birth of Venus (which is hard to date but probably executed in the mid 1480s) and Primavera (late 1470s - early 1480s). Both paintings are thought to have been commissioned for the Medici family, whose collection of art the paintings were apart. These paintings play testament to Botticelli's heavy reliance upon allegory in his artwork. He often used characters from Greco-Roman mythology or Christian ideology, depending on the beliefs of his patron and the occasion for which the paintings had been commissioned. 

Consequently, Boticelli was very much a dreamy storyteller by means of classical motifs. By studying his paintings, we can consider the methods by which Renaissance artists attempted to simultaneously evoke ancient mythology, honor the contemporary Christian dictates in the bible  and pay tribute to their patronage. In addition to his mastery of allegory, Boticelli's paintings are also considered some of the most visually stunning in their romantic and ephemeral depictions in the history of art to date. His art has provided an eternal source of inspiration for many artists such as Bonaventura Aumatell Tarradellas, Yoann Merienne and Francine Van Hove who are drawn to his work in their contemporary artwork. Go check out these modern artists influenced by the work of this Renaissance master!