SANDRO BOTTICELLI
Painter of Florence
(1444-1510)

Name: Akasha
Date: 2002-05-31
Comments: The arquitectonic features added in this job make it simply magnificent!!

Name: Enkil
Date: 2003-04-16
Comments: Use of colour fantastic, compostion truly amazing. This is a very intriguing painting.
Nice reference Akasha. I came here after reading Vittorio and Blood and Gold. You?

Name: Daniel
Date: 2003-11-30
Comments: This is a painting deep with meaning and full of symbolism. It is a kind of protest by Botticelli about the problems of Florence at the time Girolamo Savonarola was heavily influencing the city. Botticelli had become a follower of Savonarola (as did the brother of Michelangelo and other Renaissance artists), and this painting shows how botticelli felt about the mistreatment of the culturally influential dominican friar of San Marco. There were various factions at work in the city at that time, and those outside Savonarola's influence hated the preacher of righteousness with an intense hatred. Those influences included crass materialist who valued the free markets of Florence; corrupt politicians; power hungry families; paganism (casual as well as formal), and papal authority (the corrupt Borgia pope and perhaps the Medici represented by king Midas on the throne). Ironically, if this painting is as early as some say (1495), then it is nothing less than prophetic -- in that it forshadows the execution of Savonarola before it actually happened (May 23, 1498). If it is later (1498) as some have speculated, then it is a protest against the way the monk was mistreated; unjustly accused; tortured and murdered by pope Alexander VI (Borgia). Either way, this disturbing composition shows the kind of confusing parade of players in the drama. There is much to uncover in this painting. The wise person will look at the events of those days and discover direct comparisons as well as many interesting messages in the painting about the time, the events and the artist in this painting.

Daniel
November 29th, 2003
useyernoodle@hotmail.com