How the World Almost Forgot Botticelli
Sandro Botticelli is an icon of the Italian Renaissance. Why was he nearly written out of the history books?
Gods and nymphs usher in the spring.
On the far left, Mercury raises his caduceus to push back a storm cloud. The three Graces, handmaidens of Venus, dance on a bed of wildflowers. On the far right, Zephyrus, the personification of the West wind, abducts the nymph Chloris, whom he transforms into the goddess Flora and gives dominion over flowers. The newly-crowned Flora stands to the left of them in a delicately-embroidered gown.
Presiding over everything is Venus, goddess of love and beauty. Her hand is raised in a gesture of welcoming. Her son Cupid flies overhead.
Sandro Botticelli’s Primavera (1482), along with The Birth of Venus (1485), are among the most famous paintings of the Italian Renaissance. They are also vast canvases—Primavera is roughly 124 by 80 inches.
Most of B…