Sandro Botticelli

Sandro Boticelli, originally named Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, was born in 1445 in Florence, Italy, as the son of a tanner. He was never married and died on May 17, 1510.

Sandro was called “Boticelli” by his elder brother, which means “little barrel” in Italian.

He is ranked as one of the greatest Florentine painters during the Renaissance.

In 1460 he began training with Fra Filippo Lippi. His early paintings were mostly influenced by Masaccio and Andrea del Verrochio. Boticelli opened his own workshop in the 1470s in Florence.

Some of his best known works are The Birth of Venus, painted around 1485, and Primavera, painted around 1478. They were painted for the villa of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici and in both works Venus has a central position. He also worked on illustrations for Dante's epic poem The Divine Comedy.

In his later years Boticelli suffered from a physical disability and therefore he could not work. Around 1504 his works seemed out of fashion because they reminded many people of past medieval artists. A new style was demanded and art took a turn into the direction of the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and others. In the 19^th century, however, Boticelli became popular again, especially in England.

For more information about "Boticelli" see:

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