The painting is known as the "Spring" and was made by Sandro Botticelli in tempera on poplar boards. The size is 207 x 319 cm. The work is kept in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
The dating is uncertain but it is suggested around 1482. This date would therefore be subsequent to the trip that Botticelli made to Rome to work on the Sistine Chapel.
Stylistic and composition analysis.
Botticelli's Primavera strikes the viewer, even the non-expert, first of all for its beauty. A beauty that is expressed above all in the rhythm and elegance that runs between the figures on the scene, in the grace of their gestures and their faces led by Botticelli through the typical and recognizable contour line. A highly aesthetic line that makes the entire work extremely coherent on a stylistic level, down to the smallest detail.
If we look at the painting we can first see nine figures in the foreground moving on a flowery meadow. Behind them there is a grove of orange and laurel trees.
The color of the vegetation appears particularly dark and illuminated only by the great abundance of flowers and fruits. This dark color is at least partly caused by the alteration of the pigment due to oxidation.
Following the upper profile of the figures, we can see a sinuous trend. This trend is also traced by the blue sky that can be glimpsed between the figures and the branches of the trees.
The landscape usually goes unnoticed or is neglected in the descriptions. Instead, I believe that the light that filters through the plants is a very important component that helps to give rhythm to the composition and that also conveys a sense of suggestion and slight mystery.
Especially in the left and central part of the work, the splendid natural arches that frame the figures emerge from the backdrop. The elements of the landscape are, on the other hand, very limited, only slight reliefs can be glimpsed on the horizon.
The scene is occupied by nine figures. Six are female and are placed in the center, on the sides we observe two male figures and at the top a winged putto.
Apart from the two winged beings, the figures are all placed on the same plane with the sole exception of the central figure.
By carefully observing the work, we note that only some figures on the left hold their arms raised while those on the right keep all their arms pointing downwards.
The central figure, from this point of view, appears as a nerve center and connection between all the others, because it holds the right hand raised and the left one lowered.
One of the striking aspects of the painting is the rich representation of flowers and fruit. Hundreds of plant varieties have been identified. Some studies have found that most of the species present in the picture are common in the Florence area. The flowering period of most of the species would also coincide with March and April, precisely with Spring.
Where the representation of plant species is not directly connected to the period of spring flowering, a symbolic meaning could take over. The oranges, for example, that we see numerous and which are clearly out of season, could recall the Medici emblem which bears some orange balls. These are only hypotheses that give us an idea of how this painting is still to be deciphered in various aspects.
Among the flowers, botanical studies have found that the most numerous species represented are daisies and violets, typical spring flowers that can also symbolically be linked to the theme of love.
Botticelli's Primavera demonstrates how rich and complex the system of symbols and allegories can be that is hidden behind a Renaissance work. More than five centuries after its creation, we can admire the painting, the graceful forms of the figures, the ideal faces, the rhythm and musicality of the composition, the suggestion of the grove, the richness of flowers and fruits. We can thus enjoy its beauty. We can go further and recognize the characters that populate the picture and give a logical sense to the narrative development. But despite this we still remain at the surface of a painting that hides within its folds the fruit of a very high artistic season where painting dialogued with philosophy and literature.
Let me know what you think of Botticelli and the painter's spring with a comment!
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5 сен 2024
