I have been in love for a long time now with a man more than 500 years my senior, literally a Renaissance man! As Berlin is gearing up to welcome him with an exhibition in the late summer I have decided to pay a little homage to him with a look in the Bridgeman archive – I am talking of course about Sandro Botticelli.
As a student of art history in London I had to give my first presentation in a public space on one of his works in the National Gallery and ours has become a love affair that has now lasted almost twenty years. I knew next to nothing about him or any other Renaissance painters when I started the course but to this day he is still one of my favourite artists of all time.
Portrait of a Young Man, c.1480-85 / National Gallery, London, UK
Detail of two of the Three Graces, from the Primavera / Galleria degli Uffizi
The Portrait of a Young Man in the National Gallery was my introduction to his work and although it is hung next to one of his more famous paintings Venus and Mars, I only have eyes for him when I visit.
His face looks incredibly modern to me and it has none of the formality of other Renaissance portraits – he could step out the frame and not seem out of place. His eyes follow me across the room and I like to imagine that he knows I am there – silly, I know but I can’t help it!
The Birth of Venus, c.1485 (detail) by Sandro Botticelli (1444/5-1510); 203×314 cm; Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence
Annunciation (tempera on panel) by Sandro Botticelli (1444/5-1510); 150×156 cm; Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence
Over the years I have become more familiar with his other paintings and I love them all, even if they have been used for everything from T-Shirts to tea cups like his Venus or Primavera in the Uffizi Galleries in Florence. I was fortunate enough to go to Florence on a conference a few years ago and the first thing I organised was a pre-booked ticket to the Uffizi so that there would be no chance of me missing the Botticelli masterpieces.
The women in his paintings are of an ethereal beauty whose features could never be mistaken to be by any other painter. His subjects cover mythology such as the stories of Venus, Minerva or Primavera but Botticelli is also rightly revered for his paintings of the Madonna who are exquisite in their beauty and stillness. Religious subjects are also in his repertoire, bread and butter for any Renaissance artist relying on patronage.
The Lamentation of Christ, c.1490 (detail) Alte Pinakothek, Munich, Germany / Bridgeman Images
We have a few wonderful paintings by Botticelli here in Berlin and the upcoming exhibition promises to be quite unusual: it will look at Botticelli’s influence on other artists and adaptations of his works in all different media across the centuries. I will be first in line to buy a ticket to the exhibition even if I have to queue all night and that is saying something – I can’t wait!
Find out More
The Gemäldegalerie in Berlin and London’s Victoria and Albert Museum have joined forces to present a comprehensive exhibition of works by Sandro Botticelli. The exhibition will pay tribute to the artist’s enduring influence on art, design, and fashion, which can be traced to the present day
The Botticelli Renaissance exhibition is scheduled to open in Berlin from 24 September 2015 – 24 January 2016, and will arrive to London in March 2016.
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