My godmother gifted me yet another art book! My collection has really come alive in the last month. The book she handed me, the heaviest one I own so far, is “Florence: The Paintings and Frescoes 1250-1743” by Ross King and Anja Grebe. My godmother also studied art history in college. When I told her the news of my admission to SACI, she was absolutely thrilled for me.
One of my closest friends at Marywood and a previous WCW blogger, Brigie Sabine, is currently studying at SACI. The other day she posted a picture of the Birth of Venus and I was so happy for her! She is totally in love with the painting, much like I am.
I decided to grab my new book and see what is said about Sandro Botticelli’s painting. The Birth of Venus always pulls me in right away but this time, it was another work of art that grabbed my attention immediately – Botticelli’s Spring. I have never seen this painting before. It is enchanting.
There are nine figures in this painting. They are in a wooded garden area, surrounded by orange trees.
The first thing that caught my eye were the three women wearing very sheer and airy dresses. I knew immediately that they had to be the Three Graces.
The second thing that caught my eye was the woman in the floral dress. She is gorgeous and so is her clothing and headdress. There is so much detail in her being. She has flower petals gathered in a bunch of her dress, and it appears that she is sprinkling them on the ground. I learned from the description of the piece that she is a goddess named Flora.
Cupid flies amidst the orange trees. He is directly above a woman who is identified as Venus, the goddess of love.
The young man all the way to the left of the painting is said to be Mercury, driving away the cold winter air. The pair all the way to the right are said to be Chloris, the nymph, and Zephyr, the god of wind. They are bringing in with them a warm spring breeze.
All of the figures in this painting are mythological. The description the book provides says that there is no known record of an explanation for this piece and its characters. I always say I love when a painting has a mysterious element to it, and this one clearly does.
I never thought I’d find another Botticelli painting I loved more than the Birth of Venus. Yet as any young art student should know, studying art is full of surprises. I should know better than to ever think I’ve seen it all. I have only dipped my toes into the world of paintings!
