La Primavera (Spring) by Sandro Botticelli

La Primavera (Spring) by Sandro Botticelli, tempera painting on wood panel c. 1482, is a monumental depiction of a procession of ancient classical gods heralding the return of Spring, a subject that symbolises the time of renewal of the Renaissance. In the centre of the painting are the goddesses Venus and Flora, and ranging across the picture are Mercury, the Three Graces, Chloris and Zephyrus. A blindfolded, winged Cupid flies overhead before the backdrop of dark foliage of an orange grove, aiming his arrow at the dancing Graces. Primavera in its elegant classical figures, details of costume, foliage and flowers, and complex composition forms one of the iconic images of Western art and a tremendous influence on the arts of the Renaissance. Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) was a Florentine painter of the of the early Italian Renaissance who apprenticed under the master Filippo Lippi. With strong Gothic influences, the mature work of Botticelli reflected a study of antique classical sculpture and was noted for its linear grace and rhythm, flattened relief-like forms with strong contours, and subtle colouring. The complexity of meanings in Botticelli’s compositions, from sources drawn from classical antiquity, mythology and philosophy, enthraled scholars for centuries.