Italian Renaissance: art, culture, and society

Art

Italian Renaissance Art

This report is a summary and a comparison between two works from one of my favorite Italian Renaissance artists. The works were taken from the 1987 Harper & Row book called "Italian Art, 1250-1550: The Relation of Renaissance Art to Life and Society" by Bruce Cole. The two works compared are "Venus and Mars" and "The Story of Nastagio degli Onesti (third episode)" each by Sandro Botticelli.

Sandro Botticelli, born Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi in Firenze in 1445 and passed away in the same community in 1510, was an Italian Renaissance painter of great distinction. His work was of the Florentine school and has been considered one of the better painters out of the Florentine Renaissance. "Botticelli was born in Florence, the son of a tanner. His nickname was derived from Botticello ("little barrel"), either the nickname of his elder brother or the name of the goldsmith to whom Sandro was first apprenticed. Later he served an apprenticeship with the painter Fra Filippo Lippi." (Botticelli, Sandro)

His style is very personal and has a sense of melancholy. His works are known to focus on sumptuous still life. Historians have discovered that he worked with Antonio del Pollaiuolo who influenced Botticelli's strong sense of line. Known as dedicated and ambitious, Sandro Botticelli had his own workshop by 1470. "Botticelli. He spent almost all of his life working for the great families of Florence, especially the Medici family, for whom he painted portraits, most notably the Giuliano de' Medici (1475-1476, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.). Adoration of the Magi (1476-1477, Uffizi, Florence) was painted on commission (though not for the Medicis), and contains likenesses of the Medici family as well as a likeness of himself." (Botticelli, Sandro)

Botticelli's influence revolved around religious subjects but his influences were also closely tied to the successes and troubles of the Medici family. His history "As part of the brilliant intellectual and artistic circle at the court of Lorenzo de' Medici, Botticelli was influenced by its Christian Neoplatonism, which tried to reconcile classical and Christian views. This synthesis may be the theme of two larger panels commissioned for Medici villas and now in the Uffizi, Primavera (1478?) and Birth of Venus (after 1482)." (Botticelli, Sandro) When the Medici family was expelled from Florence in the 1490s by a Dominican monk who preached austerity and reform, Botticelli's subsequent works reflected a more intense religious devotion.

II. Images

Venus and Mars

Cole, xx)

The Story of Nastagio degli Onesti (third episode)"

Cole, 31)

III. Works

The first work by Sandro Botticelli is titled "Venus and Mars" Botticelli completed this work in approximately 1485. Historians have not yet distinguished the exact data or month but it has been confirmed that the year is correct. The work is currently being displayed in the National Gallery, London, England. The work's dimensions are sixty-nine point two (69.2) by one hundred seventy three point four (173.4) centimeters. Botticelli used egg tempera and oil on poplar to complete this masterpiece.

The second work by Sandro Botticelli is titled "The Story of Nastagio degli Onesti (third episode)." Botticelli completed this work in approximately 1483. Again, historians have not yet distinguished the exact data or month but it has been confirmed that the year is correct. The work is currently being displayed in Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain. The work's dimensions are eighty three (83) by one hundred forty two (142) centimeters. Again, Botticelli used egg tempera and oil on poplar to complete this second masterpiece.

IV. Subject Matter:

This particular work has a plethora of art and historical information that is relevant. "Venus and Mars" was completed before the fall of the Medici family and therefore shows less religious zealousness. The work could even be considered religious satire for the time period it was done in. In "Venus and Mars," Botticelli's shows an inherent wit and a strong sense of humor which became less prevalent after the fall of the guardian Medici clan. His later works are much more serious expositions of the subject.

In this work, one can see that a waiting Venus and some playful satyrs are indiscreetly playing war games with Mars's armor and lance. All in the work seem to be poking fun at Mars who was obviously the god of war but in this particular day was overly exhausted. "Mars, god of war, was one of the lovers of Venus, goddess of love. Here Mars is asleep and unarmed, while Venus is awake and alert. The meaning of the picture is that love conquers war, or love conquers all." (Cole, xx) the purpose of the work during the renaissance was mostly likely for a prominent individual's bedroom furniture or a piece of wainscoting.

Some art connoisseurs have considered that the detailed wasps at upper right may have been a link to the popular Vespucci family of Florence and other connoisseurs have decided that the wasps are nothing more than a symbolism for Venus and the stings of love. "A lost Classical painting of the marriage of Alexander and Roxana was described by the 2nd-century Greek writer, Lucian. It showed cupids playing with Alexander's spear and armor. Botticelli's satyrs may refer to this. Mars is sleeping the 'little death' which comes after making love, and not even a trumpet in his ear will wake him. The little satyrs have stolen his lance - a joke to show that he is now disarmed." (Venus and Mars)

VI. VISUAL ANALYSIS:

Botticelli's work is bright and cheerful as the satyrs play fully toy with Mar's tools of war. Venus is lounging with her long beautiful hair hanging carelessly over a white heavenly dress trimmed with gold. An obviously exhausted Mars is cloaked in only a loin cloth and his fast asleep.

The details of his body show strength and stature and his long curly hair his thick and full. The four satyrs in the work have playful looks as three steal or play with the heavy spear and one sneaks under Mars to take his sword. The fourth satyr's head is completely engulfed under Mar's heavy steel and gold helmet.

The scene looks as though there are four playful children being mischievous as a daunting mother of friend looks on during the hiatus of the man of the house. The lighting is bright and the color is very detailed. For example, Venus's white and gold gown is accentuated by a bright plush reddish pillow. The skin of all has adopted the Florentine complexion of northern Italia.

VII. Comparison

When comparing the two works with each other, one first notes the difference in the use of color. "The Story of Nastagio degli Onesti (third episode)" is a much darker work and seems much more serious because of the darker colors. Historians have tied this third work to its two predecessors and each of the three represents a tale of a young woman's murder. "The Story of Nastagio degli Onesti (third episode)" depicts a picnic full of phantom like people. Like its previous two episodes, we witness a ghostly woman's atrocious murder. The act of the murder is in plain sight of the panic-stricken picnickers. The act is a series of thrusts and blows by the woman's ghostly lover's sword.