The Artworks of Botticelli

Sandro Botticelli was among the masters of the Renaissance. An Italian artist from Florence. He created some of the most iconic and famous Renaissance paintings.

Adoration of the Magi depicts the Biblical story in the Gospel of Matthew when the Three Magi, or Three Kings, visit the newbornJesus Christ after following a star in the sky. This artwork was commissioned to decorate the chapel of a wealthy Florentine man, Gaspare di Zanobi del Lama. He has a chapel in the Santa Maria Novella church in Florence and served there as an altarpiece. Today it is at the Uffizi Gallery.

Calumny of Apelles features many architectural marvels. This is supposedly a replica of a lost painting by Apelles of Kos (4th century B.C.), an ancient Greek painter, based on a description of this ancient work.

Madonna of the Magnificat is also referred to as the Virgin and Child with Five Angels. (pictured above) It is one of several tondo paintings Botticelli completed. A tondo is a Renaissance term for a circular work of art, either a painting or a sculpture. In the painting, the Virgin Mary is crowned by angels as she holds the infant Jesus. The title of the painting refers to Mary’s writing of the first verse of the Magnificat, also known as “The Song of Mary.”

Mystical Nativity is a painting that was completed in the final decade of the life of Botticelli. The artwork is centered around the Virgin Mary kneeling in front of baby Jesus. The other figures are believed to be representations of both earthly and heavenly delight.

Portrait of a Lady Known as Smeralda Brandini, it is a portrait created by the artist. The woman in the portrait was the grandmother of Baccio Bandinelli, a famous Renaissance sculptor. The portrait is remarkable for both the strong gaze of the woman and the three-quarter pose, the first of its kind by the Italian artist.

Primavera is another iconic Renaissance painting. The painting depicts many figures from classical antiquity in a garden. However, no unified theme brings them together. It can be viewed along with the Birth of Venus at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

Punishment of the Sons of Korah is another monumental fresco that Botticelli completed while staying in Rome. This fresco is also located in the Sistine Chapel, the chapel of the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City. The fresco depicts three scenes from the life of Moses, including the Israelite rebellion against Moses and Aaron. The large Roman triumphal arc was modeled after the Arch of Constantine next to the Colosseum in Rome.

The Birth of Venus is among his most famous and well-known paintings. It became one of the most iconic Renaissance paintings depicting the Roman goddess of love, sexuality, procreation, and pleasure, Venus, as she arrives on shore following her birth as a fully grown woman. The pose she takes is known as “Venus Anadyomene.” The artist completed this painting in the 1480s at the height of the Renaissance.

Venus and Mars is a world-famous painting depicting the Roman goddess Venus and the Roman god of war Mars. The painting was probably intended to commemorate a wedding, set into paneling or a piece of furniture to adorn the bedroom of the bride and groom, possibly as part of a set of artworks.  The painting depicts Venus watching Mars sleep while two infant satyrs play, carrying his helmet and lance. A third satyr rests inside his breastplate under his arm, and a fourth blows a small conch shell. The scene is set in a myrtle grove.

Youth of Moses is a monumental fresco that decorated the interior of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. The fresco depicts several scenes derived from the life of Moses from Exodus.