Description
This piece is one of the most important works of the early Renaissance. Located in the famous Uffizi Gallery in Florence, it continues to draw viewers with its classical symbolism, elaborate composition, and delicate attention to detail.
The specific meaning behind Sandro Botticelli's masterpiece is questioned. But it is widely accepted that, on some level, the artwork is a celebration of spring and the fertility that the season brings.
The painting holds secret delights for horticultural enthusiasts. Botanists have identified at least 200 different species of plants in "Primavera" which are presented in specific detail.
This painting, generally known as the Allegory of Spring or "Spring" also shows 9 figures from classical mythology advancing on a flowery lawn in a forest of orange and laurel trees. In the right foreground, Zephyrus embraces a nymph named Chloris before leading her away; she is then pictured after her transformation into Flora, the goddess of spring.
The center of the painting is dominated by the goddess of love and beauty, Venus, dressed chastely and slightly apart from the others, and by a blindfolded Cupid shooting his arrow of love.
On the left, the three Graces, minor goddesses with virtues like those of Venus, are shown dancing in a circle. The composition is closed by Mercury, messenger of the gods, recognizable by his helmet and winged sandals, while touching a cloud with his cane.
Although the complex meaning of the composition remains a mystery, the painting is a celebration of love, peace and prosperity. The dark color of the vegetation is due in part to the aging process of the original pigment, but is lightened by the abundance of fruit and flowers. The 200 different plant species were accurately portrayed by Botticelli, perhaps using herbaria. The attention to detail confirms the artist's commitment to this piece, which is also evident in the great skill with which the paint has been applied.
The painting is painted on a poplar wood support and towards the end of the 15th century it was in the house on Via Larga (now Via Cavour) which belonged to the heirs of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici, cousin of Lorenzo the Magnificent.
The painting was hung on a lettuce, a kind of chest with a back that was often found among the furniture of Renaissance noble houses.
The artwork was later transferred to the Villa di Castello, where Giorgio Vasari (1550) describes it together with the Birth of Venus .
The Allegory Of Spring is ranked no. 22 on the list of famous paintings