World Art Treasures:Sandro Botticelli

Florence and the Medicis

It was a republic at the time of Masaccio and was no longer quite that in Botticelli's time; the Medicis had succeeded in taking over Florence's government, if not the power. We are in the reign of the greatest of the three, Lorenzo the Magnificent.

The dynasty was founded by Cosimo the Elder and his wife, Contesina de Bardi. One of their children, a son, was called Piero; because of a precocious form of arthritis, he was known as Piero the Gouty. Having become master of Florence, Piero had married the admirable Lucrezia Tornabuoni, one of the most beautiful figures that the history of sculpture and painting has left us. They had children, amongst whom, the present ruler, Lorenzo, known as Lorenzo the Magnificent. Lorenzo had two successive wives: the first, Philippina, an illegitimate child of Savoy - this was fine as long as Lorenzo was simply Lorenzo, but was no longer suitable when he became the Magnificent. Her lord thanked Philippina and then married Clarissa Orsini, thus creating a magnificent Orsini-Medici dynastic liaison, once again two powers which complemented each other very well. They would have three important children together; the first was Piero II, known as Piero the Exile who brought an end to the great Medicis by stupidly getting thrown out of Florence. The second was Giuliano, better known as the Duke of Nemours, who left an important imprint on both Italian and French literature. The third was called Giovanni, the most glorious of the three, as he became one of the Renaissance's great popes under the name Leo X.

We are now in the era of the famous first three Medicis, who were weaving, with an absolutely formidable confident judgment, the fabric of their alliances and interests in order to increasingly consolidate Florence, which was truly becoming what Lorenzo wanted it to be: the new Alexandria, or the Lighthouse of the world.

In fact, when Piero gave up his power, he left it not only to Lorenzo, but to his two sons, Lorenzo and Giuliano, both of them holding the title of "principi estate", Prince of State. Only later would Lorenzo rule alone, after April 1478, the date of the terrifying plot to assassinate the Medicis in the Duomo. Lorenzo was able to flee thanks to an open sacristy door, but Giuliano lost his life there. From that date on, Lorenzo the Magnificent was Florence's sole master and presided over its destiny until his death on April 8, 1492.

The Medici portraits

A small gallery of these characters, whose faces are sometimes unexpected:

	Cosimo the Elder The portrait is most likely the only one to have been done shortly after his death. We don't think that any portraits of him were painted while he was alive, as he didn't believe in it. We thus have posthumous portraits which, as time went by, became increasingly idealized. This must certainly resemble the original man. It was sculpted by an anonymous Florentine artist in white marble, so white moreover that it appears rather funereal. It is a votive portrait of the father of the Medicis' grandeur, Cosimo in his old age,a superb work preserved in the Dahlem in Berlin.

Cosimo the Elder

The portrait is most likely the only one to have been done shortly after his death. We don't think that any portraits of him were painted while he was alive, as he didn't believe in it. We thus have posthumous portraits which, as time went by, became increasingly idealized. This must certainly resemble the original man. It was sculpted by an anonymous Florentine artist in white marble, so white moreover that it appears rather funereal. It is a votive portrait of the father of the Medicis' grandeur, Cosimo in his old age,a superb work preserved in the Dahlem in Berlin.

Piero the Gouty Not only was he gouty, but, in addition, he was not very handsome, making it even more astonishing that he married Lucrezia Tornabuoni, one of the most beautiful women of all time. Preserved in the Bargello in Florence, this portrait of Piero the Gouty is still very medieval in style, and it's also one of the only "authentic" portraits of Piero that we have.

	Lorenzo the Magnificent In general, there is some disappointment when one first sees the effigy of the Magnificent one, as one expects him to be magnificent, as we have always been shown Benozzo Gozzoli's famous fresco, The Procession of the Magi, in which he is portrayed as the most handsome and radiant of all, in white astride his white horse, but Gozzoli painted a totally idealized Lorenzo. Lorenzo had a rough-hewn, headstrong face, and his effigies portray him as such. This one is in the Bargello and may perhaps be attributed to the same artist who painted the one we just saw of his father, Piero the Gouty.

Lorenzo the Magnificent

In general, there is some disappointment when one first sees the effigy of the Magnificent one, as one expects him to be magnificent, as we have always been shown Benozzo Gozzoli's famous fresco, The Procession of the Magi, in which he is portrayed as the most handsome and radiant of all, in white astride his white horse, but Gozzoli painted a totally idealized Lorenzo. Lorenzo had a rough-hewn, headstrong face, and his effigies portray him as such. This one is in the Bargello and may perhaps be attributed to the same artist who painted the one we just saw of his father, Piero the Gouty.

Another portrait of Lorenzo in order to get to know him a little better as we are discussing his reign tonight, preserved in the Dahlem in Berlin. The artist has done all he could to improve matters.

	This is the truest portrait of the three, between the earlier rough-hewn face and the idealism of the second. This medal bearing Lorenzo the Magnificent's effigy was created by one of Pisanello's students and is preserved in the Bargello. One sees an extremely sharp face, marked, willful and tremendously intelligent; but if one has read Lorenzo's poetry and noted his Neo-Platonic soulful delicacy, one is always surprised when confronting his portrait for the first time.

This is the truest portrait of the three, between the earlier rough-hewn face and the idealism of the second. This medal bearing Lorenzo the Magnificent's effigy was created by one of Pisanello's students and is preserved in the Bargello. One sees an extremely sharp face, marked, willful and tremendously intelligent; but if one has read Lorenzo's poetry and noted his Neo-Platonic soulful delicacy, one is always surprised when confronting his portrait for the first time.

In this era of great celebration, the artists, the sculptors as well as the painters, served the dynasty and its allies. We shall now see several portraits of great Florentines of this period.

Naturally, Botticelli was a painter for the Medicis, and they often called on him for portraits which were sent all over the Western world.

Gianlorenzo de' Medici This could very well be Botticelli's first commissioned work, and from the hair and the clothes, the portrait must date from no later than 1468.

	Gianfrancesco de' Medici A portrait painted just a little later, somewhere between 1470 and 1471. Gianfrancesco died at the age of sixteen during a simulated duel. He left the memory of one of the most sarcastic youths of the entire Florentine court. Botticelli seems to have treated him admirably.

Anonymous portrait [Portrait of a man with a medal] An irritating person, as we don't know who he is. The only thing that can be said is that he is conspicuously displaying a medal on which one can see Cosimo de' Medici's effigy. This is either one of Cosimo's illegitimate sons, one of the art historians' theories or, more prosaically, it could be the medal maker. The latter explanation tends to prevail today, but it becomes interesting when one becomes aware that this medallion maker could be Sandro's brother. It is very possible that what we have here is an homage to his brother by means of the Medicis.

Anonymous portrait [Portrait of a man with a medal]
An irritating person, as we don't know who he is. The only thing that can be said is that he is conspicuously displaying a medal on which one can see Cosimo de' Medici's effigy. This is either one of Cosimo's illegitimate sons, one of the art historians' theories or, more prosaically, it could be the medal maker. The latter explanation tends to prevail today, but it becomes interesting when one becomes aware that this medallion maker could be Sandro's brother. It is very possible that what we have here is an homage to his brother by means of the Medicis.

	Giuliano de' Medici Botticelli painted few portraits but many other works. The last portrait we will show tonight is one of the prides and joys of the National Gallery in Washington D.C. There is something very moving about this painting: in most of the portraits he painted, as in most of the Florentine portraits painted during this era, Botticelli used a wall or sky color for the background. It was very rare to pose the subject in front of an open countryside in Florence during the last thirty years of the 15th century; it was being done in Urbino by Piero della Francesca but not in Florence, where the model was really in his or her house. This is one of the most striking details in Botticelli's work. And, it should be noted that Botticelli painted Giuliano in front of an open door which, in the very complex Florentine humanistic symbolism of that era, is the symbol for death, the passage from life on earth into the hereafter. It is thought, and this doubles the portrait's interest, that Lorenzo commissioned it immediately after Giuliano's assassination. This is of some help in dating it: probably the second half of May 1478. If one accepts this explanation, this would make it one of the most accurately dated of Botticelli's works.

Giuliano de' Medici

Botticelli painted few portraits but many other works. The last portrait we will show tonight is one of the prides and joys of the National Gallery in Washington D.C. There is something very moving about this painting: in most of the portraits he painted, as in most of the Florentine portraits painted during this era, Botticelli used a wall or sky color for the background. It was very rare to pose the subject in front of an open countryside in Florence during the last thirty years of the 15th century; it was being done in Urbino by Piero della Francesca but not in Florence, where the model was really in his or her house. This is one of the most striking details in Botticelli's work. And, it should be noted that Botticelli painted Giuliano in front of an open door which, in the very complex Florentine humanistic symbolism of that era, is the symbol for death, the passage from life on earth into the hereafter. It is thought, and this doubles the portrait's interest, that Lorenzo commissioned it immediately after Giuliano's assassination. This is of some help in dating it: probably the second half of May 1478. If one accepts this explanation, this would make it one of the most accurately dated of Botticelli's works.