Sandro Botticelli

Sandro Botticelli

Sandro Botticelli was born in 1445 in Florence, Italy. He was an apprentice to Fra Filippo Lippi at fourteen-years-old. He belonged to the Florentine school under the patronage of Lorenzo de' Medici.His work was characterized by a conception of the figure as if seen in low relief, drawn with clear contours, and minimizing strong contrasts of light and shadow. His most famous pieces include The Birth of Venus (1486) and Venus and Mars (1483). Most of his work was created in Florence. He was one of the followers of Savonarola, who preached in Florence from 1490 until his execution in 1498, though no one is quite sure of the extent of Savonarola's influence. It is believed that Botticelli was in love with a married noble woman named Simonetta Vespucci and used her as a model for his most famous paintings. Historians are still uncertain of his sexuality because of an accusation of sodomy. Botticelli died May 17, 1510 in Florence Italy. He was buried at the feet of Simonetta in the Church of Ognissanti.