"Spring" by Sandro Botticelli(1478, Uffizi Gallery, Florence) is one of the most famous works of the Italian Renaissance. The painting was commissioned by Duke Lorenzo Medici on the occasion of the wedding (according to another version, the birthday) of his nephew. All the heroes depicted on it are mythological characters. In the center is the goddess Venus, to the left of her are the three Graces (Beauty, Chastity and Pleasure) and their leader Mercury. On the right - the god of the warm, spring wind Zephyr, overtaking the nymph Chloris, and the goddess of flowers Flora. What relationship are they in? What connects them? And why did Botticelli need all these heroes to talk about spring - a symbol of new life, love?
"This is the dialectic of love embodied in movement"
Marina Khaikina, art critic:“The picture was created according to the laws not of dramaturgy, but of musical-rhythmic. And therefore it is very difficult to tell what is happening here, to build a plot. But let's try. On the right side of the picture, we see two events at the same time: the abduction of the nymph Chloris by Zephyr and her subsequent transformation into the goddess Flora, which symbolizes spring. However, the central position in the picture is not Flora, but another heroine - Venus. She is not just the goddess of love and beauty. The Neoplatonists, with whose ideas Botticelli was well acquainted, endowed Venus with the highest virtues - intelligence, nobility, mercy, and identified with Humanity, which was synonymous with culture and education. The movement of Venus is hardly noticeable, but it is directed from earthly love, personified by Flora, to heavenly love, which, apparently, is symbolized by Mercury. His posture, gesture indicate that he is a guide to the Mind that reigns in the heavenly spheres. His hand next to the fruit hanging on the tree is a motif traditionally associated with the Tree of Knowledge. It is very likely that Botticelli illustrated here the Neoplatonic dialectic of love - the path from earthly love to divine love. Love, in which there is not only joy and fullness of life, but also the sadness of knowledge and the seal of suffering - we cannot but see it on the face of Venus. In Botticelli's painting, this dialectic of love is embodied in the musical, magical rhythm of movement, dance, sometimes fading, sometimes accelerating, but infinitely beautiful.
"A hymn to living human attraction"
Andrey Rossokhin, psychoanalyst:“There are only two men in the picture, their images are fundamentally different. Zephyr (he is on the right) is a dark and terrible, demonic tempter. Mercury (left) is narcissistically handsome. But it is Zephyr, alive and moving, who touches the woman and looks at her (none of the characters in the picture have direct eye contact anymore). But Mercury has turned away from everyone and contemplates the sky. According to the myth, at this moment he disperses the clouds. He seems to want to get rid of what drives the clouds - from the wind. But the Wind is just the Zephyr that seduces Chloris. Mercury is trying to free space from the movement of wind and life, from the sexual attraction of a man to a woman.
There are three Graces next to him, but there is no physical connection between him and the girls: the grace of Pleasure stands with her back to Mercury. The gaze of Chastity is turned to Mercury, but there is no contact between them either. In a word, in this whole group there is no hint of the awakening of Spring, sexuality. But it is this group that Venus blesses. She is here - not the goddess of love, but the Christian symbol of the Mother, the Madonna. There is nothing feminine and sexual in her, she is the Goddess of spiritual love and therefore is favorable to the left group, devoid of sensuality.
And here is what we see on the right: Zephyr takes Chloris by force, and the nymph girl turns into a woman, Flora. And what happens then? Flora no longer looks at Zephyr (unlike Chlorida), she is not interested in a man, she is interested in flowers and children. Chlorida was a mortal girl, and the goddess Flora gained divine immortality. It turns out that the idea of the picture is this: you can be immortal and omnipotent only by renouncing sexuality.
On a rational level, the symbolism of the picture encourages us to feel the greatness and divinity of motherhood, the narcissistic confidence of Mercury, the self-sufficiency of our inner Graces. Botticelli calls to curb his "wild" desires, attractions that are associated with Zephyr, to abandon them and thus gain immortality. However, unconsciously he writes the opposite, and this is evidenced by the very atmosphere of the picture. Together with Zephyr and Chloride, we live their passionate love affair, literally feeling with our skin that only such sexual attraction can break the vicious circle of the Graces and release pleasure from the narcissistic trap. To be alive, mortal, feeling, to experience different experiences (fear and pleasure), even at the cost of renouncing Divine immortality - in my opinion, this is the main hidden meaning of Botticelli's message. A hymn not to the Divine, rational, symbolic and chaste, but to a living human attraction that conquers narcissism and the fear of one's own mortality.
The picturesque masterpieces of which include Botticelli's painting "Spring", most clearly manifested in the north of 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 of an 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, for whom the future artist worked as an apprentice. Florence in those days was the center of new ideas, and Botticelli, as the greatest artist, could not stand aside, embodying the new philosophy of the early Renaissance in his 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 subordinated to love, which has a divine origin and is the 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 depicted the 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 an inextricable 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 their divine affiliation, are very earthly and touching. Botticelli's painting "Spring" is still one of the most amazing works of painting, not only of the Renaissance, but of all subsequent times.
Italian art of the 15th century. Renaissance.
A world masterpiece, the painting "Spring" was created by the artist Sandro Botticelli in the late 70s of the 15th century. The size of the painting is 203 x 314 cm, wood, tempera. This work was painted by Botticelli for the Villa Castello near Florence, owned by Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco Medici. The year of its execution is usually considered to be 1478 - the work was completed shortly after the villa was purchased for the fifteen-year-old Lorenzo. This relative of the Magnificent then received a thorough education, and the head of the Platonic Academy, Ficino, also took a friendly part in his upbringing. The painting, intended for the private quarters of the future Renaissance connoisseur, was intended to delight the eye and at the same time influence the soul of its contemplator.
Botticelli in the picture depicted Zephyr chasing the nymph Chloris, Flora arises from their union; then we see Venus, the dance of the Graces and, finally, Mercury, who, looking up, removes with the caduceus the veil of clouds that impedes contemplation. What is the content of the picture? Researchers have offered several interpretations. The theme of the composition is spring with its accompanying ancient deities. The center of construction is Venus - not the embodiment of base passion, but the noble goddess of flowering and all goodwill on earth; this is a neoplatonic image.
Expanding this context, scientists argued that the work of the Florentine artist reflects the idea of the generation of beauty by the light of divine love and the contemplation of this beauty, leading from the earthly to the superearthly. "Spring" was also associated with the moralizing horoscope compiled by Ficino for Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco: he was recommended to choose as a guide in self-improvement the planet Venus-Humanitas (humanity), endowed with all moral virtues and showing the way to higher spheres. Note that all these facets of content do not negate, but rather complement each other. But let's not exaggerate the significance of the meaningful canvas, because the artist painted the picture, transforming everything with his animated fantasy.
Venus, the central figure of the composition, stands under the canopy of the trees in this enchanted expanse of the spring forest. Her dress of the finest fabric with golden threads of jewelry and a luxurious scarlet cloak, symbolizing love, indicate that we have before us the goddess of love and beauty. But in her fragile appearance, other features also appear. The bowed head is covered with a gas blanket, in which Sandro Botticelli liked to dress his Madonnas. The face of Venus with raised eyebrows inquiringly expresses sadness and modesty, the meaning of her gesture is unclear - is it a greeting, timid protection or gracious acceptance? The character resembles the Virgin Mary in the plot of the Annunciation (for example, in the painting by Alesso Baldovinetti). Pagan and Christian are intertwined into a spiritualized image. In other figures of the composition, associations with religious motives are also caught. So, the images of Zephyr and the nymph Chloris echo the medieval image of the devil, who does not let the soul into Paradise.
The graces, companions and servants of Venus, are the virtues generated by Beauty, their names are Chastity, Love, Pleasure. Botticelli's image of the beautiful triad is the very embodiment of dance. Slender figures with elongated, smoothly curving forms intertwined in a rhythmic sequence of circular motion. The artist is extremely inventive in interpreting hairstyles, conveying hair as a natural element and as a decorative material at the same time. The hair of the Graces is collected in strands, now finely curly, now falling in a wave, now scattering over the shoulders, like golden jets. Light bends and turns of figures, dialogue of glances, graceful joining of hands and setting of feet - all this conveys the progressive rhythm of the dance.
The relations of its participants reflect the classical formula and at the same time the neoplatonic understanding of Eros: Love leads Chastity to Pleasure and fastens their hands. In the image of Botticelli, the idea of \u200b\u200bmythological splendor comes to life, but his images are painted with genuine purity. It is no coincidence that the dance of the Graces is compared with the round dance of angels in Paradise in the composition “The Last Judgment” by Fra Angelico. The gaze of Mercury is dreamily directed to the sky. He is trying to break the density of clouds that interfere with vision. Botticelli gives Mercury the type of thin youthful figure characteristic of the taste of Florence of those years, as in Verrocchio's David, but its outlines acquire melody, and the face becomes spiritual.
The skill of Florentine painters, their dedication and dedication to work have long become a model of work for contemporaries. But even among admirers of the work of bygone years, it is difficult to find such an original artist as Sandro Botticelli was. "Spring" by this painter has become a cult canvas.
Perhaps the phenomenon of this painting is explained by the fact that Botticelli was guided by the motives of Neoplatonic philosophy in the process of work, which could not be appreciated for a long time.
Who was Botticelli
Among the painters of the 15th century, he was one of the most famous, but there was a lot of talk in the ranks of admirers. This is because the paintings were designed for educated people, for philosophers who knew how to get to the essence of the work.
Almost like all great people, Botticelli was forgotten for several centuries after his death. His work began to be rediscovered already in the middle of the 19th century, when writers created the image of the creator in romantic and tragic shades. In fact, this is somewhat contrary to the truth. But the details of the master's path have always interested followers much less than his work, the depth of philosophy and, of course, the Italian goddess Spring Botticelli.
Biography
You should start with the fact that Botticelli is a pseudonym, and the real name of the master is Filipepi. He was the youngest son of the tanner Mariano, who lived in the church parish. In addition to Sandro, there were two more of his brothers in the family, who were engaged in trade, and one who chose jewelry as a vocation. This is where you can find a thread leading to a pseudonym: the brothers gave Sandro a nickname - “botticelle” (“barrel”). It was not for nothing that they knew a lot about trade, so they gave the nickname to their brother accordingly. There is a version that this is not a nickname at all, but the name of Sandro's father's godfather. In addition, a large number of people believe that the nickname came from the jeweler brother Antonio. There is a version according to which the nickname passed to Sandro Botticelli from his brother Antonio, and means a distorted Florentine word " battigello"-" silversmith.
Career
In 1464, the master began to study with the artist Filippo Lippi.
Here he spent three years, and then moved to the workshop of Andrea Verrocchio. Two more years as a student, and Sandro went on an independent voyage. Among his best paintings over the years include "The Adoration of the Magi", where the master portrayed the Medici family in the images of the sages of the East. And on the right side, the artist also depicted himself. In the period from 1475 to 1480, Sandro Botticelli's best painting, "Spring", according to many, appeared. The master created it for his friend Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco Medici. Perhaps the proximity of the addressee of the picture explains the inexplicable calmness of the image, the hidden philosophy of the characters and the warmth of the seemingly cold tones.
Plot
"Spring" - a painting by Botticelli, combining the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It must be said that researchers of the painter's work still cannot thoroughly explain this unity. It is obvious that the events in the Medici family and the beloved Neoplatonic cosmogony served as the motive for writing. The canvas shows nine central characters. All of them are in motion and seem to be in contact with each other, but this is only at first glance. Upon closer examination, it can be noted that there are six plots and, accordingly, six groups of characters, which Botticelli combined into harmony. "Spring" is very specific, and for a beginner in art, it will seem completely chaotic.
In fact, this is one of the first paintings of the post-antique period that has survived to this day. The main characters are gods and nymphs with their experiences. The highlight of the creation is its gigantic size - Sandro Botticelli's "Spring" is drawn in full growth and therefore is clearly intended for the mansions of high-ranking officials. Who else could afford to see life-size gods?!
The course of the creative process
Of course, Botticelli brought his vision of the world into the picture. The gods here do not copy ancient sculptures, but are transformed according to special artistic canons. You can see that the figures are slightly elongated, and women have somewhat domed bellies, which, in principle, meets the beauty standards of that time. In the center, the master depicted Venus, the goddess of love and the mistress of the garden. The central character was not chosen by chance, because spring is the time of love and Venus personifies the flowering of nature and human relations. Sandro Botticelli's spring is beautiful and pure; she inspires awe and admiration. Cupid hovers above the goddess. This tiny baby knows his business and aims his true arrows of love at the three graces, the friends of the beautiful Venus, who are dancing the rondo. The three graces embody tenderness and innocence, but seem like simple maidens, beautiful in their defenselessness. One of them is blond, and the other two are red. The Graces hold hands in their dance, and their light clothes flutter in time with their movements.
Minor characters
In fact, Botticelli's "Spring" does not have minor characters, but you can discuss them, departing from the center of the plot. Beautiful graces need protection, and this is provided by Mercury, which is on the left.
His role as a brave guardian of peace is emphasized by a scarlet cloak, a helmet on his head and a sword on his side. Swift Mercury, who is still more often called Hermes, can be recognized by his winged sandals and original weapons in his hands, with which he drives snakes away from each other, trying to reconcile them with each other. The snakes in Botticelli's painting "Spring" appear in the form of winged dragons. The god of the wind Zephyr, who pursues the nymph Chloris, has its own story in the picture. And the goddess of spring, Flora, walking nearby, calls for warmth, scattering flowers around her.
Interpretations of the plot
Botticelli's spring is ambiguous, alluring with its mystery and beauty. Not surprisingly, there are many interpretations of the picture. Regardless of the truth, it should be noted the depth of meaning and humanism of painting, which gives an idea of the cultural values of those times. They say that Botticelli wrote the painting "Spring" based on Ovid's Fasts - descriptions of the ancient Roman calendar of holidays. In the verses there, relating to May, the goddess Flora speaks of her life as the nymph Chloris, who became the object of adoration for the god Zephyr. Zephyr conceived of forcibly taking her as his wife and pursued constantly. But then God repented and realized his rudeness. To atone for his guilt, he turned the nymph into a goddess and gave her a beautiful garden where spring always reigns. In verses about her fate, Flora does not grumble, but enjoys her fate. Her husband endowed her with the charm of flowers and bliss. That is why the faces of Chlorida and Flora differ even in small things. The eternal spring changed everything. Botticelli's painting covers the whole story and focuses on the difference between two women with a single story. Even the clothes of the goddess and the nymph flutter in different directions.
Sandro Botticelli. Spring. 1478 Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Few people knew about Botticelli's "Spring" for ... 450 years!
At first it was kept by the descendants of the Medici. Then I went to the Uffizi Gallery. But ... You won't believe it - it has lain in storerooms for 100 years!
And only at the beginning of the 20th century it was put on public display due to the fact that a famous art critic saw it. It was the beginning of glory.
Now it is one of the main masterpieces of the Uffizi Gallery. And one of the most famous paintings.
But "reading" it is not so easy. It seems to be about spring. But there are a lot of characters here.
Why are there so many? Why didn't Botticelli portray one girl as Spring?
Let's try to figure it out.
Sandro Botticelli. Spring (with decoding). 1478 Uffizi Gallery, Florence In order to read the picture, divide it mentally into three parts:
The right part consists of three heroes who personify the first spring month of MARCH.
The god of the west wind Zephyr begins to blow at the very beginning of spring. With him, the reading of the picture begins.
Of all the heroes, he is the most unsightly in appearance. Blueish skin tone. Cheeks are about to burst from the tension.
But this is understandable. This wind for the ancient Greeks was unpleasant. Often brought rain and even storms.
As with people, so with divine creatures, he did not stand on ceremony. He fell in love with the nymph Chlorida, and she had no chance to escape from Zephyr.
2. CHLORIDE
Zephyr forced this gentle creature in charge of flowers to become his wife. And in order to somehow compensate for her moral experiences, he made a real Goddess out of a nymph. So Chloride turned into Flora.
Flora (nee - Chlorida) did not regret marriage. Although Zephyr took her as his wife against his will. Apparently the girl was mercantile. After all, she became much more powerful. Now she was responsible not only for flowers, but in general for all vegetation on Earth.
Francesco Melzi. Flora. 1510-1515 The following five heroes make up the APRIL group. These are Venus, Cupid and the three Graces.
The goddess Venus is responsible not only for love, but also for fertility and prosperity. So she's not just here. And the ancient Romans celebrated a holiday in her honor just in April.
Son of Venus and her constant companion. Everyone knows that this unbearable boy is especially active in the spring. And shoots his arrows left and right. Of course, without even seeing who is going to hit. Love is blind, because Cupid is blindfolded.
And Cupid will most likely fall into one of the Graces. Which has already looked at the young man on the left.
Sandro Botticelli. Spring (detail). 1478 Uffizi Gallery, Florence Botticelli depicted three sisters holding each other's hands. They represent the beginning of life, beautiful and tender due to their youth. And they also often accompany Venus, helping to spread her precepts to all people.
"MAY" is represented by only one figure. But what!
7. MERCURY
Mercury, the god of trade, disperses the clouds with his rod. Well, not a bad help to Spring. He is related to her through his mother, the Maya galaxy.
It was in her honor that the ancient Romans gave the name "May" to the month. Maya herself was sacrificed on May 1st. The fact is that she was responsible for the fruitfulness of the earth. And without it, in any way in the coming summer.
Why, then, did Botticelli portray her son, and not Maya herself? By the way, she was charming - the eldest and most beautiful of the 10 galaxy sisters.
Sandro Botticelli. Mercury (fragment of the painting "Spring"). 1478 Uffizi Gallery, Florence I like the version that Botticelli really wanted to portray men at the beginning and end of this spring row.
Still, spring is the birth of life. And without men in this process in any way (at least in the time of the artist). After all, it was not for nothing that he depicted all women as pregnant. Laying fertility in the spring is very important.
Sandro Botticelli. Detail of the painting "Spring". 1478 In general, Botticelli's "Spring" is completely saturated with symbols of fertility. Above the heads of the heroes is an orange tree. It blooms and bears fruit at the same time. Not only in the picture: it actually can.
Sandro Botticelli. Detail of the painting "Spring". 1478 Uffizi Gallery, Florence And what is the cost of a carpet of five hundred real-life flowers! It's just a flower encyclopedia of some kind. It remains only to sign the names in Latin.
