Sandro Botticelli
Italian Early Renaissance painter known for mythological and religious works.
Sandro Botticelli (c. 1445 – May 17, 1510), born Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. He lived his entire life in the same Florentine neighborhood, the Borgo Ognissanti, where he was born to a tanner and his wife, the youngest of four surviving children. His father later became a gold-beater, and according to Giorgio Vasari, Botticelli initially trained as a goldsmith. The nickname "Botticelli," meaning "little barrel," came from his brother Giovanni. Around 1461 or 1462, he apprenticed with Fra Filippo Lippi, learning to create intimate compositions with melancholic figures defined by clear contours and subtle light and shadow. By 1469, Botticelli had his own workshop and soon received a commission for a panel of *Fortitude* to accompany a series of the Seven Virtues. His best-known works, *The Birth of Venus* and *Primavera*, both in the Uffizi in Florence, are mythological subjects, but he also painted numerous religious works, including many renditions of the Madonna and Child, often in a tondo shape, as well as portraits. His most successful decade was the 1480s, when these large mythological paintings were completed. In the 1490s, his style became more personal and mannered, and his final works moved away from the emerging High Renaissance style of Leonardo da Vinci, returning instead to a more Gothic or archaic approach. Only one of his paintings, the *Mystic Nativity*, bears a date (1501), but archival records allow the development of his style to be traced. His posthumous reputation suffered until the late 19th century, when the Pre-Raphaelites revived interest in his work.
- born
- c. 1444–1446, Florence
- died
- May 17, 1510, Florence
- field
- Painting
- nationality
- Italian
- known_for
- The Birth of Venus, Primavera, religious subjects, portraits
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi
- Birth Date
- c. 1445
- Birth Place
- Florence, Republic of Florence (now Italy)
- Death Date
- 1510-05-17
- Death Place
- Florence, Republic of Florence
- Field
- Painting
- Training
- Filippo Lippi
- Movement
- Italian Renaissance
- Works
- Primavera / The Birth of Venus / The Adoration of the Magi / Other works
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Botticelli was born in Florence in the Borgo Ognissanti neighborhood, the youngest of four surviving children of tanner Mariano di Vanni d'Amedeo Filipepi and Smeralda Filipepi. His father later became a gold-beater, and Botticelli was initially trained as a goldsmith. The nickname 'Botticelli,' meaning 'little barrel,' came from his brother Giovanni's round stature. From around 1461 or 1462, Botticelli was apprenticed to Fra Filippo Lippi, learning to create intimate compositions with melancholic figures and clear contours. He likely had his own workshop by 1469, when he was commissioned a panel of Fortitude for a set of the Seven Virtues. In 1472, he took on his first apprentice, Filippino Lippi, and the two often collaborated.
Reader's Guide
Botticelli's career spanned the latter half of the Italian Renaissance, yet his style is often described as more Gothic or archaic compared to the High Renaissance. His best-known works, The Birth of Venus and Primavera, both in the Uffizi in Florence, exemplify his mythological subjects. He also painted many religious works, including dozens of Madonna and Child renditions, often in tondo shape. Only one of his paintings, the Mystic Nativity (1501), bears a date, but archival records allow scholars to trace his stylistic development. The 1480s were his most successful decade, producing large mythological paintings and famous Madonnas. By the 1490s, his style became more personal and mannered, moving away from the emerging High Renaissance style of Leonardo da Vinci. His last works show a return to a more Gothic or 'archaic' style. Rediscovered in the late 19th century by the Pre-Raphaelites, Botticelli's linear grace and melancholic figures have since secured his place as a key figure in art history.
Did You Know?
- Botticelli lived all his life in the same Florence neighborhood and was buried in his local church, Ognissanti.
- He painted in Pisa in 1474 and in the Sistine Chapel in Rome in 1481–82, his only significant times outside Florence.
- Only one of his paintings, the Mystic Nativity, is inscribed with a date (1501).
- His family's neighbors included the Vespucci family, of whom Amerigo Vespucci was a member.
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