UFFIZI, Botticelli

Botticelli's great mythical scenes (Primavera, The Birth of Venus, Pallas and the Centaur) are the precious fruit of the intellectual moment in time that was dominated by Lorenzo the Magnificent. Even though they have been interpreted in many ways and contain many hidden meanings, all the works are united by their incredible measure, grace, and kindness.

To the Florentine humanist culture, Venus represented beauty, harmony, and the triumph of human virtues against bestial instincts.

In the painting known as Primavera, or Spring, all the figures are aligned on a single level, with a wood in the background. To understand the scene, you have to look at it from right to left, beginning with the Zephyrus, who is the impetuous wind that chases his girlfriend Chloris among the trees. In the spring wind embrace, Chloris transforms into Flora, and fills the world with flowers: Botticelli painted about 130 different species of flowers with meticulous botanical precision. In the center, you see Venus separating from the dark green of a bush with a relaxed and gentle gesture; above her, her son Eros is ready to shoot his arrow of passion....