Silhouette d'Art - Ceramic vase The Birth of Venus by BotticelliCeramicHeight 23 cm - Width 8 cm - Depth 8 cmThe Birth of Venus (approx. 1486)The two-dimensional character of this masterpiece is reminiscent of Greek painting. The subject also refers to Venus Anadyomene (Venus, rising from the sea), a lost painting by famous Greek artist Apelles. According to Pliny, Alexander the Great offered his mistress as a model. When Apelles fell in love with her, Alexander let him have her.The story has it that Botticelli was in love with Simonetta, Nobleman Marco Vespucci’s wife, his entire life. It is her that Venus was based on. She died ten years before Botticelli who, at his own request, was buried at her feet in the church of Ognissanti.Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) Sandro Botticelli was born in Florence. His work marks the transition between the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. He was part of the Florentine school whose patron was Lorenzo de Medici. A hundred years later, Vasari would refer to this school as the Golden Age of painting. In 1481 and 1482, Botticelli spent a brief time in Rome where he painted a number of frescos in the Sistine Chapel. His works are characterised by an elegant, lyrical wealth of colour, conspicuous delineation and a triumphant style.
