Sandro Botticelli painting Spring

Italians are great philosophers, even in this painting, which is an allegory of spring and love, is encrypted message for humanity. Sandro Botticelli painting Spring was a wedding gift of Lorenzo de ‘Medici to his second cousin Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de’ Medici. He was going to marry Semiramis – a girl from Appiani family . “Spring” was supposed to hang over the sofa-inlaid chest – lettuchcho. The painting is actually not just about spring and love, it is a kind of illustration of the instruction compiled for Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco by the famous Florentine philosopher Marsilio Ficino. In it, he calls upon the obstinate young man to earnestly behold the Humanitas («humanity”) as the highest virtue.

The painting for a long time was hanging in the mansion of the Medici in Florence. In 1815 it came to the Uffizi Gallery, but was not exhibited. Only since 1919, when it drew the attention of Giovanni Tucci art, it becomes a pearl mainstream exposure.

The characters in the painting:

1. Venus. The goddess of love is in the middle of an orange grove (orange – a symbol of chastity), in the arch of myrtle and laurel, holding her right hand in a gesture of blessing. She is in veil of a married woman (an allusion to the wedding theme). She, born in the heavens and more beloved by Almighty God. Her soul and mind are Love and Mercy, her eyes – Dignity and Magnanimity, hands – Generosity and Magnificence, legs – Beauty and Modesty. Integer there is Temperance and Honesty, pleasantness and greatness. Oh, wondrous beauty! If you combine it with the marriage and call her his, she will make your years sweet, and you yourself – excellent father children.

2. Three Graces – companion of Venus. They are senses, intellect and will. And since feeling is not the thinking act, then one of the Graces with face turned to us, as she moves forward, the other two, as they relate to the intellect and the will, depicted with face turned back as the one who returns.

3. Mercury. Messenger of the gods depicted in the winged sandals. He was the son of the nymph Maia, in honor of which in Latin is called the month of May, which was the wedding of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco. With the help of the caduceus (wand, braided snakes) he scatters the clouds that nothing marred spring mood garden of Venus. It is believed that the image of Mercury Botticelli painted Lorenzo de ‘Medici, the customer’s picture.

4. Zephyr and Chloris nymph. This illustrates the passage from Ovid’s poem “fast” – wind Zephyr chasing chloride and captures it: “One spring Zephyr caught my eye; I was gone, / He flew after me: he was stronger than me … / Yet violence Zephyr justified , making me his wife, / And at our marriage I never complain. “After marriage chloride (out of her mouth curled periwinkle – a symbol of true love) turned into a goddess of spring and flowers, which Botticelli depicts immediately, thereby using the technique of simultaneity – simultaneous images of consecutive events.

5. Spring. Spring – this is the best time. All the trees of green, all the land is green. The painting by Botticelli presents Spring scattering roses, as was customary for wealthy Florentine weddings. Her dress embroidered with red and blue cornflowers – symbols of friendliness and good humor. You can also see a wreath around her neck – Spring strawberries – a symbol of tenderness, chamomile – a symbol of loyalty and Buttercup – a symbol of wealth.

6. Cupid. Companion of the goddess of love. He blindfolded (love is blind) with fiery arrow aims one of the Graces. Perhaps in the form of Cupid Botticelli painted himself

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