Encountering Botticelli in the Hallway

The women in the painting are exquisite and brilliant

When mentioning the Renaissance, three famous figures will surely come to mind: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. In fact, there is another hero who is not far behind, and that is Sandro Botticelli, who was seven years older than Da Vinci and the two were once "classmates". Botticelli is unique among all the heroes. His famous representative paintings, "Primavera" and "The Birth of Venus", are both large-scale paintings and both exist today. At the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

"Spring" (202cmx314cm) is painted on wood, and "The Birth of Venus" (172cmx279cm) is painted on canvas. The medium is tempera. Oil painting had already begun to be used, but Botticelli still insisted on using tempera. You must know that oil paints are slow-drying and highly malleable, and can be stacked layer by layer to produce rich tones, while tempera paints dry very quickly and lack elasticity, so they have to be applied one stroke at a time, layer by layer... . When I was looking at "Spring", I thought it was an oil painting! Botticelli is definitely the top representative in the tempera painting world!

Exceptionally talented artists are often labeled as “flamboyant” or “promiscuous”; however, Botticelli—known as a goddess-maker—was actually a one-hundred-percent devoted romantic.

The women in his paintings are all stunningly beautiful and extraordinarily elegant, but upon closer look, they are actually modeled after the same woman. If you don’t believe it, you can swap the faces of the two female protagonists in Primavera and The Birth of Venus. This muse was Simonetta Vespucci, who reportedly captivated all of Italy at the time! She married into the Vespucci family, which was allied with the powerful Medici family, when she was just 16. The Medici family was the dominant political and economic force and the greatest patron of the arts during the Renaissance from the 15th to 18th centuries. Because it was inappropriate to openly express love to the “lady of the house,” Botticelli channeled his admiration for Simonetta into his paintings. Tragically, the beautiful Simonetta died of tuberculosis at age 22. After losing his one true love, Botticelli remained a lifelong bachelor and even requested to be buried at her feet.

One sentence describes it this way: "Women should be Botticelli's Venus, and men should be Michelangelo's David." "Venus" is the representative of love and beauty. In Botticelli's paintings, she has the shy expression of a girl, but the charming figure of a mature woman. The S-shaped body coupled with the seven-minute step, such an unbalanced but coordinated stance has become deeply rooted in people's hearts and has become a symbol. Today this "signature stance" can still be seen on many occasions!

Botticelli used the themes of Greek mythology to show smooth lines, soft contours, gorgeous colors, and full of poetry. From it, people can feel that the Roman gods are also "sensual" like human beings, showing the romance of joy and freedom in the world. On the other hand, when he painted icons, he revealed gentleness and kindness, presented a solemn "sacredness", and sought a deeper soul resonance.

In the past, my understanding of Botticelli was limited to two masterpieces, especially "Spring". Among them, "The Three Graces", they are covered with gauze and have a fairy spirit; their limbs are elegantly connected with each other, dancing rhythmically. The painting is full of plants and flowers, whether it is the kumquat tree symbolizing the wealth of the Medici family, or the flowers depicted based on the local blooms in Florence... and each flower reflects the author's thoughtfulness and excellence. skills.

In Matthew 6:28-29, Jesus said:"Consider how the lilies of the field grow. They do not toil or spin. Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these."

The mission of a flower is to bloom beautifully and be worthy of the world's gaze. Being able to display flowers in such exquisite colors is the painter's response to the Creator's gratitude. Because of this, I personally feel that the Flower Goddess in a gorgeous flower robe is better than Venus in the C position!

From beautiful flowers to heavy confession

The talented Botticelli set up his own business at the age of 25 and opened a personal painting studio. The Medici family was extremely fond of Botticelli and ordered a large number of paintings from him. Under the dual political and economic protection of the Medici family, Botticelli blossomed with unique brilliance in Florence's upper class society and literary and artistic circles!

However, the good times did not last long, and the Medici family fell into an economic crisis. After the death of the ruler Lorenzo, the French King Charles V invaded Florence, and the Medici family was expelled. A Mesquite monk named Girolamo Savonarola became Florence's "spiritual and temporal leader." This man was an extreme ascetic who opposed the art and philosophy promoted by the Renaissance as immoral luxuries. These are the people that the Medici family is keen to support, and they naturally become the targets of criticism. In 1497, in the square of Florence, a fire called the "Fire of the Vanities" was set up, and thousands of works of art, books, cosmetics... were burned, just because these were all vanities. Symbols can lead people to sin.

Unexpectedly, Botticelli turned to follow Savonarola. In response to the call, he also threw his works into the fire and abandoned his previous painting style. Fortunately, some of them, such as "Spring" and "The Birth of Venus", are Medici's private collections that are not open to the public, otherwise they would have been burned down! From then on, Botticelli's style never returned. There were no more fluttering figures and flowers on the ground. Instead, there were themes of confession and heavy tones. "Saint Augustine in His Cell" is a painting commissioned by Savonarola during this period.

Why did Botticelli change so dramatically? If he had a firm and confident attitude, just like he could stick to tempera paintings, wouldn't he be able to not deny himself easily and follow the crowd? On the other hand, Brother Savonarola not only openly persecuted wealthy residents, but also killed many innocent people. Anyone who commits injustice will be punished by his own death. In the end, the angry crowd finally rose up to resist and took Savonarola to the execution ground, where he was burned alive in the Piazza della Signoria!

Due to Botticelli's unsteady stance, his reputation plummeted after Savonarola's death. In order to make a living, he decided to return to his old business, but his popularity was no longer what it used to be. In his later years, Botticelli was in poverty. If it were not for the help provided by the Medici family who later came back to power, it is difficult to imagine how miserable the final end of Botticelli would have been.

Masterpiece hangs in the hallway

It’s puzzling—how could Botticelli, so devoted to beauty, follow the extremely “anti-beauty” Savonarola? Yet this big question doesn’t stop me from appreciating the artist.

In the late work Man of Sorrows, there are no intense expressions or blood stains, but from Jesus’ eyes, the nail wounds on His hands, and the skin pierced by thorns, one can sense immense sorrow and grief. That deep, quiet suffering, with angels surrounding Him in darkness, symbolizes the coexistence of humanity and divinity. Comparing this late piece with the earlier Primavera and The Birth of Venus, it’s hard to believe they came from the same artist! The master remained a master in old age, but his vision changed — the youthful Primavera is proud and romantic, stirring passion; the late Man of Sorrows offers deep emotion and comfort.

I always thought that if I wanted to revisit Botticelli’s paintings, I would have to go to Florence and visit the Uffizi Gallery, but I didn’t expect to find an unexpected surprise recently! That afternoon, I made an appointment with a friend from out of state whom I had not seen for many years to visit the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Because we had to cooperate with her five-year-old daughter, we walked around, went to the bathroom, drank coffee, and ate snacks, which took up a lot of time. Anyway, let’s just treat it as afternoon tea.

However, on the way through the European Painting Hall, a painting called "Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist" in the corridor caught my eye. Hey, why does this painting look so familiar? The characters’ expressions, textures, lighting, and other treatments, plus it’s tempera painting, could it be that this is Botticelli’s work? With a hint of doubt, he said to himself: "The majestic Museum of Fine Arts in Boston shouldn't have fakes on display, right?"

I couldn't wait to share my discovery with my friends excitedly. The friend asked: "Who is Botticelli?" I could only turn to an older man wearing glasses who seemed to "understand painting" and ask for advice: "You Do you think this is an authentic work by Botticelli?" He was stunned for a moment and asked, "Why not?" I said, "At least it should be placed in the exhibition hall. How can it be hung in the corridor like this without protection? The other party: "Isn't Rembrandt's "Artist in His Studio" also placed in the corridor? Isn't Rembrandt good?"

Speaking of which, there are quite a few "famous painters" hanging in the corridor! In short, the style of each museum is different, and it all depends on the views and tastes of the person in charge. I thought, if I were the curator, I would definitely treat Botticelli well and arrange this painting in a grand way! I told my friend, "Although I didn't see many paintings today, I am very satisfied to have met Botticelli!"

God gave people the ability to create, especially the outstanding artists during the Renaissance—it was as if God breathed a breath of spiritual energy into them! There is no doubt that Botticelli is the painter who possesses this aura. Just like the parable of the entrusted silver in the Gospel of Matthew, talent is a gift given by God. As a favored steward, in addition to affirming his own strengths and making use of his wisdom, more importantly, he must follow the "true master" . Although Botticelli's works fell silent in history for a period of time and did not receive attention again until the 19th century. Fortunately, at least his "silver coins" were not truly buried!

Note: Tempera (English: Tempera or Egg Tempera) is a permanent, quick-drying painting medium. It mainly mixes egg yolks into pigment powder for painting. There are many mixing methods. Tempera paintings can be preserved for a long time, and there are still works from the 1st century AD. Tempera painting is the main painting method in Europe. It was popular in the early Renaissance and was only replaced by oil painting in 1500.

Chris L. Chou,painter. Make good use of colors and personal symbols to tell life stories with God, people, and nature. He won the Guggenheim Painting Award (Guggenheim Fellow 2007), and Houston, Texas, USA designated 4/26/2008 as "Zhou Lanhui Day".

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