BOTTICELLI, Sandro, Italian painter: b. Florence, probably in 1444; d. there, 17 May 1510. He was originally Ales sandro Filipepi, but according to Vasari was apprenticed to a goldsmith named Botticello, whose name he assumed. Modern research tends to show that the boy was cared for by Giovanni, his brother, who was a prosperous broker. The latter was called little cask,' and from him the young artist was named Botticelli. As he showed evidence of a genius for painting he was transferred to the school of Fra Lippo Lippi. Lippi, however, soon after left Florence and his young pupil came under the spell of the Pollaiuoli. In his youth Botti celli was greatly influenced by ancient mythol ogy and we have many works by him on classi cal subjects—the finest his 'Birth of Venus,' in the Uffizi and his (Venus and the Graces' in the Florence Academy. The National Gallery, London, has two smaller examples of this style. At this period he also executed devo tional pictures, marked by much refinement 'The Coronation of the 'Virgin,' in the Flor ence Academy and the 'Madonna' of the Uffizi Gallery being the best examples. About 1470 he painted 'The Adoration of the Magi,' which has over 70 figures cleverly arranged and which shows Botticelli as a master of por traiture, for the kings and their satellites were at once recognized as Cosimo de' Medici, Botti celli himself and various members of the Medici family and Florentines of high rank. About this time the painter secured the patronage of the powerful Medici and other great families. Pope Sixtus IV called him to Rome in 1481 to assist in the decoration of the new chapel in the Vatican, now known as the Sistine Chapet. Associated with him in this work were some of the leading artists of the time Ghirlandaio, Cosimo Roselli, Perugino and Pinturicchio. In ternal evidence shows that Botticelli did much work on the series of papal portraits in the niches between the windows. He also spent 18
months on three frescoes— 'Life of Moses,' 'Temptation of Christ' and 'Destruction of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.> About 1484 Bot ticelli returned to Florence and continued to execute works for the great families of Flor ence. His fame was now widespread, and in 1490 Lorenzo the Magnificent appointed him on a commission to complete the cathedral facade. He was powerfully impressed by the teaching of Savonarola; and, according to Vasari, spent his later years with commenting on Dante and making figures for the (Inferno.' It was long believed that in his last days he endured severe privations. But his later works tend to show the contrary. The famous 'Nativity,' in the London National Gallery, belongs to this period and the tax list of 1498 shows him the pos sessor of ((a gentleman's villa? He was buried in the family vault in the church of Ogni Santi. He is said to be one of the engravers of a cel ebrated series of illustrations executed by Flor entine artists toward the close of the 15th cen tury, notably a set of designs for the Commedia> of Dante, of which 686 are in the Berlin Museum. His works are to be found in various European galleries, his Madonnas be ing especially characteristic of his style. In these the Virgin appears peculiarly slender and with a melancholy expression as if oppressed by forebodings. He wasgreatly esteemed by his contemporaries, but subsequently fell into disfavor. Although opinions as to his merits differ widely, Botticelli is to-day very popular and forms the theme of much art discussion. Consult Ulmann, 'Sandro Botticelli> (1893); Pater, 'Studies in the History of the Renais sance> (1873) ; Phillimore, 'Botticelli' (1894); Berenson, (Florentine Painters of the Renais sance' (1898) ; Supino. 'Sandro Botticelli> (1900) ; Steinman, (BotticellP (English translation 1901) ; Kroeber, 'Die Einzelportrats des Sandro Botticelli> (1911).