A new dawn had begun by the 15th century. This meant Florence had embraced the Italian Renaissance, which brought upon a new meaning as to how art was made and why. Florentine patrons had become increasingly popular, ultimately leading to a change in Florentine art. Paintings once focused on sacred themes began to slowly transform into something new, something with secular aspects. One of the most famous painters to do so was Sandro Botticelli. This is a direct result of the patronage that largely took place during this time. Botticelli was directly influenced by those who commissioned him; humanist scholars and Medici. The family of Medici is known to go hand-in-hand with anomaly of the Italian Renaissance. Cosimo Medici was a famous patron of art, who, like his family, had a strong interest in art, literature, and mythology. Therefore, reflected his beliefs into the art he patroned. …show more content…
The painting itself breaks barriers by showcasing a nude Venus, based off a model. Both unconventional or exclusively common during the 15th century until Botticelli. This was due to impact in which the Medici family had over Florence at the time as well as the general exposure to the Neo-Platonism. Birth of Venus details the influences of Neo-Platonism, something outside of the norm revolving around sacred themes. During the 15th century as a direct result of the patronage, artists and their paintings began to focus less on sacred and more so on secular. While themes of sacred texts were still present, there were increasing details influenced by secular concepts. More and more sacred paintings began to hold secular aspects such as perspective and concepts of using