Unique style and technique of Sandro Botticelli - Research Paper Example

ENGL 1213 – Essay 5 April All the aesthetics of the Italian Renaissance (humanism, anthropocentrism, modification of the Christian tradition, revival of antiquity) reached its highest stage of development by the end of the 15th century in the works of the eminent Florentine school artists - Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti. Their works masterly show the two sides of our existence - spirituality and humanity; subtle excellence of works of the High Renaissance places emphasis on the interrelationship of personal world and objective reality. Botticelli worked mostly with the subjects drawn from the Bible, frequently from the New Testament and classical antique mythology. It seems, at first glance, that he was concerned with purely religious or mythological subjects – the subjects artists used to turn to centuries ago. But it’s just enough to look at his Renaissance Madonnas to realize that there is nothing in common between them and the Virgin and Child on icons. The sacred theme appears just as a secular portrait of a young woman whose name is even known. What is this? Broadness? Sacrilege? The life journey of Sandro Botticelli, his unique style and technique, will be examined through the example of his timeless works of art in this paper. Giorgio Vasari, an Italian painter of the 16th century, an outstanding biographer of many Italian artists, begins the biography of Sandro Botticelli saying that at the time of Lorenzo de Medici the Magnificent, which truly was the golden age for every gifted man, reached his peak the creative work of Alessandro, named between us as Sandro, nicknamed Botticelli. Botticelli was one of the most prominent figures of the blessed era associated with the name of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Like most of the titans of the Renaissance he was of humble origin. His success was in his energy, will, intelligence and talent. All this plus rare charm and tact helped the son of a tanner to enter the very select circle of cultural and artistic elite of Europe. He was born in Florence in 1445. His real name was Alessandro Filipepi. He was the youngest of four sons of Mariano Filipepi and his wife Esmeralda. The first mention of Alessandro, as well as of the other Florentine artists, we find in the “portate al Catasto”- a kind of register of incomes for taxation which was kept in accordance with the decree of the Republic. So, in 1458, Mariano Filipepi stated that he had four sons - Giovanni, Antonio, Simon and thirteen years old Sandro and added that Sandro was learning to read and the boy was sickly. Jewelry became the turning point in the development of the young Botticelli. Alessandro was sent by his father, tired of his extravagant restless mind, to learn the skill of jewelry. According to Vasari, there was a close relationship between jewelers and painters at that time. To work in a workshop of the first meant to get direct access to the craft of the latter. Sandro became skilled in drawing, which was necessary for accurate and confident black finish. Soon he became interested in painting and decided to devote his life to it. He never forgets the valuable lessons of jewelry - precision in drawing of contour lines and skillful use of gold (he often uses it as an additive for paint or for the background, in pure form). In 1464 Sandro joined the school of the excellent painter, Fra Filippo Lippi, the Carmelite, from the Monastery of Santa Maria del Carmine. Lippi’s workshop was then in Prato, where the artist worked until 1466 on the frescoes of the Cathedral. In 1465 Filippo painted his Madonna and Child Enthroned with Two Angels. It became the indisputable pattern of composition and style for many early works by Botticelli, like Madonna and Child with an Angel and Madonna della Loggia. Even the earliest works by Sandro are distinguished by a special, almost imperceptible, atmosphere of spirituality and poetry of images - for Botticelli painting tended towards the poetic not simply because of its lyrical nature or by analogy with written poetry, but rather as a vehicle of knowledge - knowledge of nature or knowledge of humanity (i.e. history) (Argan 26). After the death of Fra Filippo in 1467, Botticelli, still wanting to quench his thirst for knowledge, began to search for a teacher with the highest artistic achievements of the era. For some time he attended the studio of Andrea del Verrocchio, a multifaceted master - sculptor, painter and jeweler, who headed a group of talented young artists. Del Verrocchio was one of the most progressive artists of that time – it’s no coincidence that he taught the young Leonardo. Andrea Verrocchio had an analytical approach to painting, was fond of anatomically accurate transfer of the human figure in motion. Teaching was conducted here on a scientific basis; great importance was attached to various experiments. Undoubtedly, Sandro Botticelli learned well from his teachers. The contemporaries saw in his works the qualities that were the most appreciated at that time – courageous brushwork, strict adherence to the art rules and perfect proportions. As a result of this creative learning such paintings as Madonna and Child with an Angel (1468-1469) and Madonna of the Rosary (1470) appeared. They show the optimal synthesis of the lessons of Lippi and Verrocchio. Perhaps these paintings were the first independent works of Botticelli. Madonna of the Rosary is a typical early Madonna by Botticelli. Here the Virgin Mary smoothly combines the features of the heroines of Filippo Lippi and Andrea del Verrocchio and yet is marked by the elegance of the linear system, typical of Botticelli’s works of the early period. According to Van Vechten Brown, Botticelli unites the radical and the conservative tendencies in a way which gives him an unique historical place. His form can be derived through Lippi, Lorenzo Monaco, Angelo Gaddi, and Giotto from the symbolic art of the Middle Ages (129). Like the other early Madonnas of the master (1469-1470), the composition is permeated with lyricism and thoughtfulness. The artist did not go over the top with light modeling. Forms here are exposed though lines. Outlining the shape, he allows his lines to show some inaccuracy in terms of anatomy. However, these irregularities are not due to errors in drawing. They are to interpret Botticelli’s expression, which plays a primary role in his paintings. He portrays not the objective world but the realm of dreams and imagination. Madonna and Child with an Angel (Madonna of the Eucharist) are painted in an enclosed space with an open window, from which we see a rural view of Tuscan landscape - river and hills. Botticelli painted the group of figures that are in a more complex compositional connection than his first Madonnas. The figures now are not so closely drawn together. Maria in a sad reverie, with a slightly bowed head, is touching a spikelet. The direction of her gaze is uncertain. The serious Child is sitting on Mother’s laps with his hand raised in a gesture of blessing. A young angel with a sharply pointed oval face and unchildish look full of sophistication is an unusual figure for Botticelli’s early works. He gives grape and spikelets on a platter to the Child - the signs of Mystery of the Eucharist, future sufferings of the Lord and His Passion. The painting is permeated with the atmosphere of deep meditation, detachment and some internal disunity of characters. Grapes and spikelets (bread and wine) are the symbolic representation of the Eucharist; in Botticelli’s opinion they had to make the compositional center of the painting which unites all three figures. A similar technique was used by Leonardo da Vinci on his Madonna Benois - Maria holds out a four-petalled flower to the child - the symbol of the cross. Another important object of Botticelli’s painting is the vase with grapes - it fully absorbs the attention of the characters. However, it does not unite, but rather internally divides them; gazing at it thoughtfully they, it seems, forget about each other. Light on the painting emphasizes the atmosphere of meditation and internal isolation. It’s smooth, scattered, almost without shadows. In 1470 Sandro opened his own studio. Between July 18 and August 8, 1470, he completed the work that brought him wide public recognition – The Fortitude Allegory. It should be a part of The Seven Virtues cycle, intended to decorate the judges’ seats in the assembly hall on the Piazza della Signoria. The whole cycle was originally ordered in 1469 from the authoritative artist Piero del Pollaiuolo. Most likely Botticelli received the order because Pollaiuolo delayed the complying date and thanks to support of an influential politician Tommaso Soderini. So, Botticelli got the first chance to get closer to the Florentine circles related to the Medici. In 1472 he joined the Guild of St. Luke (a city guild for painters and other artists). This gives him the opportunity to live a life of an independent artist and surround himself with assistants in case of numerous orders. In 1474 he finishes one of the most remarkable of his paintings - Saint Sebastian, made for the old basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. On January 20, 1474, on the occasion of St. Sebastian Maggiore feast day, the painting was solemnly placed on one of the church pillars. Sandro’s relations with the Medici grew strong, marking the most fruitful period in his career. Botticelli painted for the Medici an impressive number of paintings. Moreover, judging by the number of his pupils and assistants, recorded in 1480, the studio of Botticelli enjoyed widespread acceptance. His next famous work was Pallas and the Centaur (1488) painted for Giovanni Pierfrancesco de 'Medici. It was for the Villa Castello, along with The Primavera and The Birth of Venus. This painting was considered a political allegory, devoted to the discernment and success of Lorenzo the Magnificent in the affairs of diplomacy. It was believed that Pallas represented the victory over the conspirators (Pazzi) or success in countering the aggressive plans of the King of Naples. The theme is based on Ficino’s idea of ??the duality of human nature, which connects animal nature (body) and spirituality (mind and soul) seeking for heavenly wisdom. Painting the Centaur, the artist used the specific ancient prototype - the sarcophagus figure, now stored in the Vatican Museum. However, the painting differs greatly from the ancient ones as the artist represents not a physical battle of Minerva and the Centaur - centauromachy but psychomachy – the conflict of souls. The Centaur represents a combination of human ignoble nature and high aspirations at the same time. Bow and arrows in his hands show animal passions but the facial expression shows deep suffering, more common to the holy people on his paintings. Instead of Pallas Athena (Minerva), goddess of war, that since the remote antiquity was portrayed with a helmet, armor and shield and Medusa’s head, Botticelli painted Minerva Pacifica, whose attributes - a spear (halberd in Sandro’s version) and plum branch (olive branch and wreath) - symbolize virtue. This figure has much resemblance to a Christian saint. By the end of 1470-ies Botticelli got rid of stylistic variations and direct borrowings from the other artists so inherent in his earlier works. By that time he mastered his own individual style: contours of the personalities he painted wonderfully combine clarity and elegance with energy; dramatic expression is achieved through integration of dynamic actions and deep inner emotions. Due to the policy of Lorenzo de 'Medici, who sought to reconcile with Papa and expand Florentine cultural ties, Botticelli, Cosimo Rosselli, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Pietro Perugino, on October 27, 1480, went to Rome to paint the walls of the new great chapel just erected by order of Pope Sixtus IV and, therefore, known as the Sistine. Botticelli headed the group of painters by pontifex’s order and the contemporaries deeply appreciated his murals, distinguished by dramatic intensity, swift development of the action. Botticelli painted at least eleven figures of the popes from the top row of paintings, as well as three episodes from the life of Moses and Christ: The Youth of Moses, The Temptation of Christ and Punishment of the Levites. The internal complexity of Botticelli’s works is revealed especially through his religious compositions full of lyrical nature. The images of Madonnas, painted by Botticelli in the mid 1480’s, are more complicated than the earlier works. We see a shadow of sadness on Madonna face, anxiety and uncertainty – this is Botticelli’s artistic stylization into the strange, poetic, and melancholy type that he uses with many variations in his allegorical compositions (Schmeckebier 140). The figure of the Child is portrayed, as a rule, with the symbols of the Passion, reminding us of Christ’s sacrifice. His next significant work is Madonna of the Magnificat (1485) that is a typical Florentine Tondo. It was named after the first word of the Virgin’s prayer, the text of which is clearly visible in the open book. The Child holds a pomegranate (the symbol of immortality he will bring to mankind) in one hand and the other hand leads the hand of Madonna, who writes down the beginning of a benediction song (Luke I: 46). Two young boys, accompanied by the third, older one, keep inkpot and book while two angels take up a crown above Madonna’s head. The face of Madonna Magnificat has all the characteristics of Botticelli’s ideal of beauty - thin light-colored skin and firm, but delicate bone structure of the face. The Virgin’s purity and innocence is complemented by a touch of tenderness, scarcely noticeable in rounded lips. Thick braided hair makes earthly impression, reminding us a peasant girl but the fancy toilet articles - a scarf and transparent mantle transform a real woman into the ideal image of Madonna. Late works of Botticelli rise to tragic heights with extraordinary emotional power and laconism. At the same time the artist’s perception of the world finds expression in the complexity of the compositions, stylized fragility of the characters, their overly-intense, convulsive, as if frozen motion. In the 90ies Botticelli draws illustrations to The Divine Comedy by Dante. This is the only large graphic cycle by Botticelli. His preparatory drawings are very few but strike with inspired timidity of lines, brilliant virtuosity. His illustrations for The Comedy do not always get proper evaluation. Usually, historians point to the fact that Dante’s imagination was alien to the very essence of Botticelli’s art. But the best drawings are full of originality and figurativeness. Florence, at the time, was agitated by revolutionary preaching of Fra Girolamo Savonarola. Inspired people burned in the streets all the vanity - precious home wares, magnificent garments and artworks. It was a revolution. Spiritual rather than social. It struck, first of all, those most sensitive, sophisticated minds that have been the creators of elite intellectualism. The revaluation of all values, sincere search for renewal, desire to find once again a strong, true moral and spiritual foundations, were the signs of deep inner tension experienced by many Florentines (including Botticelli). The discord reached its climax on November 9, 1494 - the day of the Medici expulsion. Botticelli, who lived under the same roof with his brother Simon, a staunch “piagnoni - crybaby”, was strongly influenced by Fra Girolamo, which could not but leave a deep trace in his paintings. This is clearly evidenced by two altar images of The Lamentation of Christ from the Alte Pinakothek in Munich and Poldi Pezzoli Museum in Milan. The paintings by Botticelli are no longer a timid sadness. They are a despairing wail, like in his two Lamentations. The drama of Botticelli is found in the polarity of the two worlds - on the one hand, the developed humanist culture of the Medici with its knights and pagan motifs; on the other, the ascetic and reformist spirit of Savonarola. On May 23, 1498, the slandered and rejected Savonarola is burned by the crowd. Quite unexpectedly Sandro Botticelli dramatically changes the entire attitude of mind - when all staggered back from the preacher, the painter takes a side with a man who, in fact, destroyed his artistic career. Botticelli becomes unsociable, rude, slides into poverty suffering alone. His late Crucifixion and Entombment take away the rest of his passions. Charming Venus is reborn into the penitent Magdalene. For the last time the crowds of the contemporaries saw him in January 1505, when he was invited to participate in the Commission which had to install a colossal statue of David by Michelangelo. To the place of new glory a poor old man hobbled on crutches. Botticelli died on May 17, 1510, and was buried in the cemetery of the church Onisanti in Florence, the city where his excited and sincere art blossomed. His art has kept its charm and fascination to the present day. Graceful elegant figures, frozen plastic of bodies, sad melancholic faces and beautiful eyes, not noticing anything around ... None of the Florentine masters could compete with Sandro Botticelli in richness of the poetic imagination, which brought him fame in his lifetime. He was forgotten for three long centuries. Interest in the rarest talent of Italy has emerged again only in the middle of the 19th century. The Pre-Raphaelites were fascinated by his unique style, individualization of artistic techniques and lyricism. Botticelli has taken a special place in the early Renaissance art not only with the help of his eager curiosity about life and experimentation but with a passionate search for inner purity and spirituality, chastity that distinguished all the images he painted. Works Cited Argan, Giulio Carlo. Botticelli: Biographical and Critical Study. New York: Skira, 1957.  Schmeckebier, Laurence. A Handbook of Italian Renaissance Painting. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1938.  Van Vechten Brown, Alice. A Short History of Italian Painting. London: J. M. Dent & Sons, 1914. Read More