Sandro Botticelli Research Paper

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Sandro Botticelli formerly known as Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi, was born the youngest of four sons on March 4, 1445, in Florence, Italy. There are a lot of discrepancies when it comes to the life of Sandro Botticelli. One thing that is clear is that Botticelli started working with art very early in his life. He first started out working as an apprentice for a goldsmith, after his father decided to remove him from school after observing the artistic talent his son possessed. It is unclear where his nickname Botticelli meaning ‘little barrel’, comes from but most believe it was given to him during his apprenticeship. There is also a consensus that Botticelli first found an interest in painting during this time. From the goldsmith, Botticelli …show more content…

By using their prestige and power they were able to manipulate decision-making groups of Florence. It is unclear how Botticelli became acquainted with the Medici but some say that his master Filippo Lippi, the leading painter of his time, was the reason for this. It seems as though Botticelli’s work was heavily affected by historical, political, social, economic, religious and theological contexts. Probably the most substantial effect on Botticelli came from the Medici family. A lot of the work produced by Botticelli to satisfy the needs of the Medici family. It is believed that the Medici were the reason behind Botticelli’s invention of this new kind of mythological painting. La Primavera is prime example of this. In 1475 he entered the service of the Medici family, and his art shows the effect of the humanism and classical culture of this environment. While working for the Medici, Botticelli was introduced to the Neoplatonic circle and the philosophy of Ficino. Neoplatonism was a philosophical movement that adapted both Plato’s philosophy and moral concepts of Christianity. Neoplatonism is defined in context to Botticelli by the