“Primavera”
Today, a classic piece celebrating the glorious season of Spring.
This tempera painting on poplar wood titled “Primavera” meaning “Spring” is by the Italian Renaissance master, Sandro Botticelli, from circa 1480. It features figures from classic mythology including Venus, Zephyrus, Chloris, Cupid, the three Graces, and Mercury. These mythological beings are depicted in an orange and laurel tree grove.
Though there is no definitive narrative of the painting, many have interpreted it as an allegorical piece relating to the onset and passing of Spring. Art historians agree that the narrative of the painting goes from right to left. First Zephyrus, the god of the west wind, is seen taking Chloris, the nymph, for his own. Afterwards, they marry, and he transforms her into the spring goddess, Flora, who is just to the left of Chloris.
The central figure in the painting is Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, who Botticelli famously portrayed in his painting, “Birth of Venus”. She is standing, fully clothed and reserved, presiding over the jubilant scene. Above her, Cupid is flying amongst the orange trees, bow and arrow in hand.
To the left of Venus, the three Graces dance with each other. The three Graces goddesses of nature, and sisters, who were often depicted as companions of Venus. The sisters are always depicted holding hands, but usually in a more static pose. Cupid is above, aiming his arrow at the Graces. To the very left, Mercury, the messenger of the gods, is seen in his helmet and winged sandals dissipating the clouds with his staff.
The origin of this piece is not quite clear, but it is thought to have been commissioned by the Medici family, as the orange grove in the painting was a Medici symbol. Botticelli’s inspiration is thought to have been from a poem by Ovid about the arrival of spring. However, specific details in the work may have also been taken from a poem by Poliziano. In Ovid’s poem, the wood nymph, Chloris, attracts the first winds of Spring, Zephyr. As Zephyr pursues Chloris, flowers spill from her mouth and she becomes Flora, the goddess of Spring. Venus, the goddess of love, presides over the garden.
This painting originally had no title. It was first called “La Primavera” by the art historian, Giorgio Vasari, in 1550. Though not painted as a pair, this painting has since been partnered with “Birth of Venus”, also by Botticelli, for hundreds of years now.
Botticelli was known for his attention to detail and this piece is no different. He accurately depicted at least 138 disparate species of plant life amongst the orange trees and mythological figures.
“Primavera” is currently in the collections of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.
For more on Sandro Botticelli, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
