The Renaissance gave humanity incredible beauty of the canvas. Moreover, many of them contain hidden symbols and meanings. One of these masterpieces is "Spring" Sandro Botticelli. In this beautiful picture there is much more hidden than it seems. Some symbols and allegories of this amazing canvas will be discussed in this review.
Sandro Botticelli wrote "Spring" ( Primavera) on request Lorenzo Medici. The painting was supposed to be his wedding gift for another of this noble family - second cousin Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco. The painting was not just an image of one of the favorites at the time mythological stories, but a philosophical parting word to a future marriage. Almost all elements of "Spring" contain certain symbols or allegories.
Venus is depicted in the very center of the picture in an orange grove (it was this tree that was the symbol of the Medici family). But this is not a brilliant and fatal goddess, but a modest married woman (which can be understood from her veil). Her right hand is raised in a blessing gesture. When Botticelli passed on his creation to Lorenzo, he focused on the figure of Venus. If he succeeds in marrying such a noble goddess, then his life will be voluptuous and happy.
The Three Graces represent the feminine virtues: Chastity, Beauty and Pleasure. Pearls on their heads symbolize purity. The graces seem to be in the same round dance, but their movements are separated. Chastity and Beauty are depicted in front, and Pleasure is in the back, and her attention is riveted to Mercury.
Mercury in mythology personified reason and eloquence. IN Ancient Rome the month of May was dedicated to him, named after the mother of the deity, the nymph Maya. In addition, the wedding of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco was scheduled for this particular month.
In order to portray Spring, Botticelli presented a whole three figures. This was a reference to the myth of how the spring wind Zephyr fell in love with the nymph Chloris and thus turned her into the goddess of flowering Spring. From the mouth of Chloris, a periwinkle flies (a symbol of fidelity), which becomes a continuation of the next figure. So the artist showed the transformation of a nymph into a goddess. In addition, this composition has become a symbol of the first spring month.
Spring (Flora) appeared in the picture in the form of a young maiden in a dress decorated with flowers. Slowly speaking, she scatters roses (as they did at weddings). The flowers on the dress were also not chosen by chance. Cornflowers are a symbol of friendliness, buttercups are wealth, chamomile is fidelity, and strawberries are tenderness.
Above the head of Venus is her son Cupid, who aims at one of the Graces. His eyes are blindfolded - love is blind. According to one version, Sandro Botticelli portrayed himself in the image of Cupid.
For those who like to search hidden meaning, you will surely like
The flowering of painting by Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) came at a time when he became close to the circle of humanists - poets, writers, philosophers, artists - at the Medici court. Lorenzo the Magnificent, ruler of Florence, wrote poetry and patronized the arts. For the villa of his cousin Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco Medici, this painting with a complex philosophical and poetic content was commissioned.
Sandro Botticelli. Spring. 1482. Uffizi Gallery, Florence
The idea of the cycle and direction - Andrey Zaitsev.
HISTORY OF THE PICTURE
Painting by Sandro Botticelli "Spring" was a wedding gift from Lorenzo de' Medici to his second cousin Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici. He was going to marry Semiramide, a girl from the noble Appiani family. "Spring" was supposed to hang over the inlaid sofa chest - lettuccio. Researchers believe that the painting was commissioned by Lorenzo the Magnificent Botticelli as a wedding gift to his nephew.
Such gifts were common at the time.In this case, Botticelli knew where the picture would hang, and that it would be located at a height of two meters from the floor.
J. Vasari . Portrait of Lorenzo Medici. Florence,
Uffizi Gallery. 1533-1534.
The picture is actually not only about spring and love, it is a kind of illustration for the instruction compiled for Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco by the famous Florentine philosopher Marsilio Ficino. In it he calls the obstinate young man to look at Humanitas (“humanity”, “humanity”) as the highest virtue.
SOURCE
The first source for Botticelli was a fragment from Lucretius's poem "On the Nature of Things":
Here comes Spring, and Venus is coming, and Venus is winged
And the azure sky shines with spilled light. |
ANALYSIS OF THE PICTURE.
The painting depicts a clearing in an orange garden ("A fertile garden blooms in the fields"). All of it is dotted with flowers (“the earth-artificer is a lush flower carpet”).
Botanists have counted more than 500 flowers ("there is no number of them"), belonging to more than 170 species. And they are reproduced from photographic accuracy, such as German iris in the lower right corner. Despite the name "Spring", among them there are many that bloom in summer, and even in winter ("I bask in the eternal spring").
1. Venus. The goddess of love stands in the middle of an orange grove (orange is a symbol of chastity), in an arch of myrtle and laurel, holding right hand in a blessing gesture. She has a veil on married woman
. “She,” writes Ficino, “is a nymph of the greatest beauty, born of heaven and more than others beloved by God Most High. Her soul and mind are Love and Mercy, her eyes are Dignity and Generosity, her hands are Generosity and Splendor, her legs are Prettiness and Modesty.
The whole is Moderation and Honesty, Pleasantness and Majesty. O wondrous beauty! How beautiful to behold. My good Lorenzo, a nymph so noble is completely given over to your power. If you marry her and call her yours, she will make your years sweet, and you yourself a father of excellent children.
2. Three graces.
To the left of Venus is a group of three Harit, who dance, holding hands. According to Hesiod, this is Aglaya ("Shining"), Euphrosyne ("Prudent") and Thalia ("Blossoming"). The middle Charita (possibly Euphrosyne) looks at Mercury. Harit's poses are reminiscent of daughters' poses. Jethro from the fresco "Scenes from the Life of Moses" by Botticelli Sistine Chapel
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These are the moons of Venus. Ficino calls them Feeling, Intellect and Will. “And since,” he writes, “it [feeling] is not a mental act, then one of the graces is drawn with a face turned towards us, as if moving forward and not intending to go back;
the other two, since they relate to the intellect and will, which have the function of reflection, are depicted with a face turned back, like that of one who returns.
3. Mercury.The messenger of the gods is depicted wearing winged sandals. He was the son of the nymph Maia, in whose honor Latin The month of May is named after the wedding of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco.
With the help of a caduceus (a rod entwined with snakes), he disperses the clouds so that nothing darkens the spring mood of the garden of Venus. It is believed that in the image of Mercury, Botticelli portrayed Lorenzo Medici, the customer of the painting. .
4. Zephyr and the nymph Chloris.This is an illustration for an excerpt from Ovid's poem "Fasty" - the west wind Zephyr chases Chloris and takes possession of her: “Somehow in the spring I caught Zephyr's eyes; I left, “He flew after me: he was stronger than me…” Nevertheless, Zephyr justified violence, making me his wife, “And I never grumble at my marriage union.”
After the marriage of Chlorida (a periwinkle curls from her mouth - a symbol true love) turned into the goddess of Spring and flowers, which Botticelli depicts right there, thereby using the technique of simultaneity - the simultaneous depiction of successive events.
5. Spring.The following lines from "Fast" belong to it: "Spring is best time: / All the trees are green, the whole earth is green. / A fertile garden blooms in the fields, as a dowry for me ... / My husband decorated my garden with a beautiful flower dress, / So he said to me: “Forever be the goddess of flowers!” / But to count all the colors on the flowers scattered everywhere, / I could never: there is no number to their number.
In the painting by Botticelli, Spring scatters roses, as was customary at rich Florentine weddings. Her dress is embroidered with red and blue cornflowers - symbols of friendliness and good nature. You can also see strawberries in a wreath around the neck of Spring - a symbol of tenderness, a camomile - a symbol of fidelity and a buttercup - a symbol of wealth.
6. Cupid.Companion of the goddess of love. Blindfolded (love is blind), he aims a fiery arrow at one of the graces. Perhaps Botticelli portrayed himself in the image of Cupid.
INTERPRETATIONS
I settled on the historical interpretation, but there are many others.
Historical versions are based on the assumption that Botticelli depicted his contemporaries in the picture. The simplest option - the picture is a pre-wedding instruction to the bride, Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco is depicted in Mercury, and Semiramida Appiani is depicted as the middle Charita looking at him.
Others believe that Mercury is Lorenzo the Magnificent himself, and among other characters they find his mistresses. Still others see the painting as an allegory for the rise of Florence under Lorenzo the Magnificent after the aftermath. the Pazzi conspiracy . It is alleged that the trees in the garden are mala medica, the necklaces on the Charites are Medici flowers, elements of the Medici coat of arms are found in the picture
HISTORY OF THE PICTURE
The painting hung for a long time in the Medici mansion in Florence. In 1815 she got into the Uffizi Gallery. For a long time it was not exhibited, and only since 1919, when the art critic Giovanni Tucci drew attention to it, did it become the pearl of the main exhibition.
She returned to the Uffizi in 1919, thus, for about 400 years, few people saw her, and only at the beginning of the 20th century did fame and glory come to her. In 1982, the painting was restored. Now it is one of the main masterpieces of the Uffizi.
Sources.
It seems that there is no person in the world who would not admire this picture. You may not consider yourself a connoisseur of art or a connoisseur of beauty, but one glance at Botticelli's "Spring" is enough, as the soul is filled with joy and inspiration. Its creator managed to comprehend the very essence of the Renaissance, the time when beauty was admired and the creative impulses of artists were highly valued. "Spring" is not only one of the most beautiful, but also one of the most mysterious paintings, throughout history visual arts. At first glance, we have a holiday in honor of the arrival of spring. But is it? What are these talking about? lovely characters? What messages are encrypted in their gestures and looks? What do these flowers and fruits symbolize? To answer these questions, we will go on an exciting journey through Florence in the 15th century, in which amazing events took place at that time ...
Renaissance, Florence, Medici - three words, inextricably linked. In the 15th century, it reached unprecedented prosperity. Florence was the richest, most populous and beautiful city not only in Italy, but also in Europe. In 1469, the 20-year-old Lorenzo became the heir to the Medici family. He, nicknamed the Magnificent, will dispose of untold wealth and rule the city for almost 25 years. This time will be the Golden Age for Florence.
So, Lorenzo de' Medici is the ruler and inspirer of the city. He was idolized, he was imitated and everyone fell in love with him without exception. He and his younger brother Giuliano were real idols for contemporaries. Lorenzo - banker, philanthropist, poet, philosopher; Giuliano is a knight, a brilliant cavalier and courtier. They gathered a brilliant society around them: Lorenzo preferred to surround himself with the most prominent people of their time, Giuliano - beautiful ladies.
In the Palazzo Medici and in the villa in Careggi, music was always playing, poetry was heard, philosophical conversations were held, in which Lorenzo, Giuliano and the most prominent representatives of their time took part: the philosopher Marsilio Ficino, the humanist Picodella Mirandola, the poet Angelo Poliziano, artists and sculptors: Perugino (future teacher of Raphael), Ghirlandaio (future teacher of Michelangelo), Andrea Verrocchio(Leonardo's teacher), Sandro Botticelli ... They called themselves members of the "Plato Academy" - a free society of people who loved ancient culture. "Neoplatonists" were looking for a new truth, created a universal religious system, combining the wisdom of Plato and Christian dogma. They believed that human power was almost like divine power. The great divine work, crowned with the creation of man, is repeated by man himself, who thinks and creates.
And, of course, it gave birth special art. Subtle, aristocratic, true to the ideals of antiquity, filled with symbols, musical and poetic. A striking example: a painting by Perugino (Raphael's teacher) "Apollo and Marsyas" and a sculpture by Antonio del Pollaiolo "Hercules and Antaeus", which decorated Giuliano's room. Architects, sculptors and artists created stunning masterpieces commissioned by the Medici. At that time, only Lorenzo the Magnificent could be the inspirer of creators for such masterpieces, spend fabulous money on this. This brought him fame, power and even greater power.
the most susceptible and subtle artist at the court of Lorenzo was a young Florentine Sandro Botticelli. He loved his patron very much, but was even more attached to his friend, Giuliano de' Medici. It is the chivalrous service of a friend of his beautiful lady, Simonette Vespucci, inspired the artist.
Florence in the seventies of the XV century is an endless series of celebrations. City holidays, masses, trips, carnivals succeeded each other without stopping. A special place in the life of Florence was occupied by jousting tournaments. The tournament was both a training before the war, and an opportunity to show one's prowess, and a place to demonstrate luxury (they dressed up for a tournament like a ball), which is forbidden on ordinary days.
In 1475, a young beauty was also present at one of these tournaments in Santa Croce Square, and Giuliano Medici, a participant in the tournament, dedicating his victory to her, carried a standard made according to Botticelli's drawings, depicting Athena, who had a portrait resemblance to Simonetta. Florentines were bewitched by this story, the whole city began to consider Simonetta their queen. And for this she had everything: she was a beautiful, noble and married woman ... and she died young (at 23 from tuberculosis). The city mourned its queen, and Giuliano was inconsolable.
On April 26, 1478, Florence again plunged into mourning: as a result of the Pazzi conspiracy, Giuliano Medici was brutally murdered. This event forever changed Lorenzo: he became sad and no longer thought about life as an eternal holiday. And, of course, the death of Simonetta and Giuliano shocked Sandro Botticelli. He decides to devote his whole life to this sublime love.
Around 1478, Botticelli creates the painting "Spring", unthinkable and incredible. After all, this is not a portrait, not an icon, a religious plot, but a new secular art, a fantasy born of the artist's ardent imagination. In the orange garden mythological characters represent an allegory of the arrival of spring: the god of the east wind, Zephyr, pursues the nymph Chloris, who, after her wedding with Zephyr, who overtook her, turns into Flora, the goddess of spring. In the center of the picture is Venus, the goddess of love and a soaring Cupid. On the left are the three Graces and Mercury, with a caduceus wand that drives away the clouds.
WITH more probability, it can be argued that it was Lorenzo the Magnificent who ordered the painting. After all, the presented allegory, based on the traditions of antiquity, dreamy, sad, idealized beautiful - just the kind of art that Lorenzo and the members of the Platonic Academy highly appreciated.
It is all the more surprising that according to the documents, both "Spring" and "The Birth of Venus" were listed for another Medici, Lorenzo il Popolano. And the masterpieces of Botticelli belonged to his villa in Castello (near Florence). However, all the decorations of the three Graces from the picture are images of real-life jewels from the collection of Lorenzo the Magnificent.
Experts agree that both "Spring" and "The Birth of Venus" were Lorenzo's wedding gift to his cousin.
It is this assumption of historians and art historians that allows for the option that we have - wedding celebration. And if this is a wedding, then Mercury is the groom, and Flora is the bride. In addition, there is Venus, the goddess of love, and Cupid, and the dancing Graces. Blossoming orange trees are a symbol of marriage and childbearing. Take a closer look, all the women look pregnant, and male characters frame the picture, as if representing an allegory of life itself.
There is another version of reading "Spring", and it is devoid of joy. Both Giuliano and Simonetta died in the spring. If this is a sad memory, then "Spring" immediately takes on a gloomy tone. None of the characters cast a shadow or touch the ground with their feet. And Zephyr no longer looks like a breeze that brings spring. He is the breath of death that takes the young Giuliano and the beautiful Simonetta.
There is another interpretation of Botticelli's "Spring". Perhaps this is a calendar of agricultural work. It sounds rather strange, but such illustrations of the seasons were quite common in those days. Note that orange trees only bloom above the head of Flora, representing April.
The latest restoration, during which pollution was removed from the painting, made it possible to see "Spring" almost in its original form. The meadow, previously darkened, shone with renewed colors. Scientists have identified more than five hundred real-life plants! It should be noted that Sandro Botticelli was fascinated by a botanist, he painted leaves, flowers and fruits with extraordinary diligence, in addition, Greek books about plants that the artist could study were kept in Lorenzo's library.
It is also possible that "Spring" is an allegory of Florence, a city that flourished under the rule of the Medici, love and harmony reign here. In this case, the image of the iris at the feet of Flora, the heraldic symbol of the city, acquires a special meaning. The garden is also symbolic, because the orange tree is the symbol of Lorenzo the Magnificent. The ruler of the city himself is allegorically depicted in the form of Mercury, a peacemaker and negotiator, driving the clouds away from Florence. Just at this time, Lorenzo de' Medici participated in establishing peace between Rome and Naples.
An important key to understanding "Spring" - ancient literature. Probably, the picture was created as an illustration to a fragment of Lucretius's poem "On the Nature of Things":
Here comes Spring, and Venus is coming, and Venus is winged
The messenger is coming ahead, and, Zephyr after, before them
Flora-mother walks and, scattering flowers on the way,
It fills everything with colors and a sweet smell ...
Winds, goddess, run before you; with your approach
The clouds are leaving from heaven, the earth is a masterful lush
A flower carpet is being laid, sea waves are smiling,
And the azure sky shines with spilled light
And to an excerpt from Ovid's poem "Fasta":
“I am called Flora, and I was Chlorida ...
One spring, Zephyr caught my eye; I left
He flew after me: he was stronger than me ...
Nevertheless, Zephyr justified violence, making me his wife,
And I never complain about my marriage union.
Eternal I bask in the spring, spring is the best time:
All the trees are green, the earth is green.
A fertile garden blooms in the fields, to me as a dowry of data ...
My husband adorned my garden with a beautiful flower dress,
So saying to me: “Forever be the goddess of flowers!”
But to count all the colors on flowers scattered everywhere,
I never could: there is no number to their number ...
They follow Harita, weaving wreaths and garlands,
To twist your curls and braids into heaven
But no matter how many interpretations and options for reading this masterpiece exist, its main riddle cannot be solved for five centuries now ... how could a person create such divine beauty?
The picturesque masterpieces of which include Botticelli's painting "Spring", most clearly manifested in northern Italy, in large cultural centers- Florence, Venice. It was here that new ideas appeared, based on the wisdom of the ancient Greeks, Plato, Pythagoras, Homer and Virgil, addressed to the earthly world of man, to his spiritual quest (contrary to the scholastic teachings of the theologians of the Middle Ages). It was the era of the birth amazing phenomenon, later called the Renaissance, or the Renaissance, which determined the path of development of philosophy, literature, painting and sculpture for several centuries ahead.
Sandro Botticelli was born in 1444 (1445) in Florence, where he lived all his life, according to some sources, the date of death refers to 1510, according to others - to 1515. His real name was Filipepi, and Botticelli was the name of a jeweler who future artist worked as an apprentice. Florence in those days was the center of new ideas, and Botticelli, as greatest artist could not stand aside, embodying a new philosophy early renaissance in their amazing beauty and touching canvases.
Botticelli's painting "Spring" was written in 1477 (1478) on wood in oil and tempera. It is known that one of the Medici ordered it as a wedding. Then the mention of it as part of the decoration of the Medici palace is found in 1638. And since 1815, the painting “Spring” by Botticelli has been one of the most valuable exhibits of the art collection in Florence.
The plot of the picture is deeply mythological, in each of its characters, in each pictorial element, one of the fundamental ideas of the Renaissance is encrypted - everything on Earth is subject to love, which has divine origin and is a source of earthly rebirth, a symbol of spring. Compositionally, the canvas is divided into three parts. The central one is occupied by the image of Venus - the goddess of love, who blesses everything that happens around. An unchanging companion hovers above her - cupid blindfolded, with a bow and arrow. On the left side of the canvas is mythological hero Mercury - the messenger of the gods, the teacher of wisdom, There are also three graces - retinue - circling in the dance. They, holding hands tightly and creating inseparable bond, personify beauty, chastity and bliss - that which accompanies love in its highest manifestations.
On the right, Botticelli's painting "Spring" depicts a plot from the myth of the wind Zephyr and the nymph Chloris, whom he kidnapped and made his wife. The love awakened in Chloris turned her into the goddess of Spring, showering the earth with flowers. She is depicted here, next to the figures of Zephyr and Chloris, in colorful clothes with bright cornflowers, symbolizing good nature, with wreaths on her neck and head, in which daisies and buttercups are woven - signs of fidelity and wealth.
The amazing coloring of the work of Sandro Botticelli "Spring" is as if woven from fragrant flowers, with which her heroine generously showers the earth. Against a dark background, the light figures of characters in delicate flowing clothes look especially attractive, their faces and appearance, despite the divine affiliation, very earthly, touching. Botticelli's painting "Spring" is still one of the most amazing works painting not only of the Renaissance, but also of all subsequent times.
It so happened that rearranging the articles in the community accidentally deleted the story about the painting by Botticelli Spring. This is one of my favorite works. I decided to write a more detailed article and condemn with you. It won't hurt us to take another look at the parade of beautiful women.
After seeing the original of this painting in Florence, I was surprised by its small size. It seemed to me that this is a large canvas. In fact, the picture is written on the board. 203×314 cm
Sandro Botticelli. Spring. 1482. Uffizi Gallery, Florence
THE HISTORY OF CREATING THE PICTURE
Painting by Sandro Botticelli "Spring" was a wedding gift from Lorenzo de' Medici to his second cousin Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici. He was going to marry Semiramide, a girl from the noble Appiani family. "Spring" was supposed to hang over the inlaid sofa chest - lettuccio. researchers believe that the painting was commissioned by Lorenzo the Magnificent Botticelli as a wedding gift to his nephew.
Such gifts were common at the time.In this case, Botticelli knew where the picture would hang, and that it would be located at a height of two meters from the floor.
J. Vasari . Portrait of Lorenzo Medici. Florence, Uffizi Gallery. 1533-1534.
The picture is actually not only about spring and love, it is a kind of illustration for the instruction compiled for Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco by the famous Florentine philosopher Marsilio Ficino. In it, he calls on the obstinate young man to look at Humanitas (“humanity”, “humanity”) as the highest virtue.
SOURCE
The first source for Botticelli was a fragment from Lucretius's poem "On the Nature of Things":
Here comes Spring, and Venus is coming, and Venus is wingedThe messenger is coming ahead, and, Zephyr after, before them
Flora-mother walks and, scattering flowers on the way,
It fills everything with colors and a sweet smell ...
Winds, goddess, run before you; with your approach
The clouds are leaving from heaven, the earth is a masterful lush
A flower carpet is laid, sea waves are smiling,
And the azure sky shines with spilled light.
ANALYSIS OF THE PICTURE.
The painting depicts a clearing in an orange garden ("A fertile garden blooms in the fields"). All of it is dotted with flowers (“the earth-artificer is a lush flower carpet”).
Botanists have counted more than 500 flowers ("there is no number of them"), belonging to more than 170 species. Moreover, they are reproduced with photographic accuracy, such as the German iris in the lower right corner. Despite the name "Spring", among them there are many that bloom in summer, and even in winter ("I bask in the eternal spring").
1. Venus. The goddess of love stands in the middle of an orange grove (orange is a symbol of chastity), in an arch of myrtle and laurel, holding her right hand in a blessing gesture. She wears the veil of a married woman
. “She,” writes Ficino, “is a nymph of the greatest beauty, born of heaven and more than others beloved by God Most High. Her soul and mind are Love and Mercy, her eyes are Dignity and Generosity, her hands are Generosity and Splendor, her legs are Prettiness and Modesty.
The whole is Moderation and Honesty, Pleasantness and Majesty. O wondrous beauty! How beautiful to behold. My good Lorenzo, a nymph so noble is completely given over to your power. If you marry her and call her yours, she will make your years sweet, and you yourself a father of excellent children.
2. Three graces.
To the left of Venus is a group of three Harit, who dance, holding hands. According to Hesiod, this is Aglaya ("Shining"), Euphrosyne ("Prudent") and Thalia ("Blossoming"). The middle Charita (possibly Euphrosyne) looks at Mercury. Harit's poses are reminiscent of daughters' poses. Jethro from the fresco "Scenes from the Life of Moses" by Botticelli Sistine Chapel
.
These are the moons of Venus. Ficino calls them Feeling, Intellect and Will. “And since,” he writes, “it [feeling] is not a mental act, then one of the graces is drawn with a face turned towards us, as if moving forward and not intending to go back;
the other two, since they relate to the intellect and will, which have the function of reflection, are depicted with a face turned back, like that of one who returns.
3. Mercury.The messenger of the gods is depicted wearing winged sandals. He was the son of the nymph Maya, after whom the month of May is named in Latin, in which the wedding of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco took place.
With the help of a caduceus (a rod entwined with snakes), he disperses the clouds so that nothing darkens the spring mood of the garden of Venus. It is believed that in the image of Mercury, Botticelli portrayed Lorenzo Medici, the customer of the painting. .
4. Zephyr and the nymph Chloris.This is an illustration for an excerpt from Ovid's poem "Fasty" - the west wind Zephyr chases Chloris and takes possession of her: “Somehow in the spring I caught Zephyr's eyes; I left, “He flew after me: he was stronger than me…” Nevertheless, Zephyr justified violence, making me his wife, “And I never grumble at my marriage union.”
After her marriage, Chloris (a periwinkle curls from her mouth - a symbol of true love) turned into the goddess of Spring and flowers, which Botticelli depicts right there, thereby using the technique of simultaneity - the simultaneous depiction of successive events.
5. Spring.The following lines from Fast relate to it: “Spring is the best time: / All the trees are green, the earth is all green. / A fertile garden blooms in the fields, as a dowry for me ... / My husband decorated my garden with a beautiful flower dress, / So he said to me: “Forever be the goddess of flowers!” / But to count all the colors on the flowers scattered everywhere, / I could never: there is no number to their number.
In the painting by Botticelli, Spring scatters roses, as was customary at rich Florentine weddings. Her dress is embroidered with red and blue cornflowers - symbols of friendliness and good nature. You can also see strawberries in a wreath around the neck of Spring - a symbol of tenderness, a camomile - a symbol of fidelity and a buttercup - a symbol of wealth.
6. Cupid.Companion of the goddess of love. Blindfolded (love is blind), he aims a fiery arrow at one of the graces. Perhaps Botticelli portrayed himself in the image of Cupid.
INTERPRETATIONS
I settled on the historical interpretation, but there are many others.
Historical versions are based on the assumption that Botticelli depicted his contemporaries in the picture. The simplest option - the picture is a pre-wedding instruction to the bride, Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco is depicted in Mercury, and Semiramida Appiani is depicted as the middle Charita looking at him.
Others believe that Mercury is Lorenzo the Magnificent himself, and among other characters they find his mistresses. Still others see the painting as an allegory for the rise of Florence under Lorenzo the Magnificent after the aftermath. the Pazzi conspiracy . It is alleged that the trees in the garden are mala medica, the necklaces on the Charites are Medici flowers, elements of the Medici coat of arms are found in the picture
HISTORY OF THE PICTURE
The painting hung for a long time in the Medici mansion in Florence. In 1815, she entered the Uffizi Gallery. For a long time it was not exhibited, and only since 1919, when the art critic Giovanni Tucci drew attention to it, did it become the pearl of the main exhibition.
She returned to the Uffizi in 1919, thus, for about 400 years, few people saw her, and only at the beginning of the 20th century did fame and glory come to her. In 1982, the painting was restored. Now it is one of the main masterpieces of the Uffizi.
Sources.
Open Internet sites.
