Sandro Botticelli was born in 1445 in Florence, Italy. He was an apprentice to Fra Filippo Lippi. 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). Botticelli died May 17, 1510 in Florence Italy. He was buried at the feet of Simonetta in the Church of Ognissanti.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Venus and Mars
Mars, god of War, was one of the lovers of Venus, goddess of Love. This tempera piece was painted in 1485. It shows Mars sleeping unarmed and Venus sitting wide awake, meaning that love conquers war. Two satyrs play carrying his armor and another rests beside him. The scene is set in a forest and shows the sea that Venus came from in the background. The swarm of wasps above Mars’ head symbolize either that love is accompanied by pain or they represent the Vespucci family. The work was inspired by the Stanze of Poliziano. Venus is believed to be modeled by Simonetta Vespucci, who Botticelli may have been in love with.
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