Ep. 16: Botticelli's Primavera
10/06/22 • 30 min
The name Sandro Botticelli is inseparable from a rich visual vocabulary of mythological subjects, abstract bodies, and an achieved pictorial aesthetic that diverts the mind from the vast complexities of his work. Yet, when we dive deep and look close, his works demonstrate a series of compound interpretations that render them often puzzling and difficult.
Looking at his Primavera, this discussion unpacks several interpretations of the painting, looking at the literature around the subjects, and trying to place them in a specific historical time and context that gives a series of possible meanings to the work. We must also discuss questions of patronage, and how a work of art can give convincing clues as to its origin. All of this relates to cultural attitudes around paganism, Christianity, eroticism and marriage in Renaissance Italy.
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The name Sandro Botticelli is inseparable from a rich visual vocabulary of mythological subjects, abstract bodies, and an achieved pictorial aesthetic that diverts the mind from the vast complexities of his work. Yet, when we dive deep and look close, his works demonstrate a series of compound interpretations that render them often puzzling and difficult.
Looking at his Primavera, this discussion unpacks several interpretations of the painting, looking at the literature around the subjects, and trying to place them in a specific historical time and context that gives a series of possible meanings to the work. We must also discuss questions of patronage, and how a work of art can give convincing clues as to its origin. All of this relates to cultural attitudes around paganism, Christianity, eroticism and marriage in Renaissance Italy.
Merch: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ItalianRenShop
Get additional content by becoming a Patron: patreon.com/TheItalianRenaissancePodcast
Previous Episode
Ep.15: The Cult of the Saints
Equally as important as humanism, naturalism, innovation, and invention, the Cult of the Saints is a long standing tradition that continues to thrive during the Renaissance period. Only through understanding this current and ongoing cultural trend can art and society in Italy be properly comprehended.
This discussion details the position of saints, how they are worshiped, and how their pictorial depictions inherited from the Middle Ages are influenced by the changing attitudes of the Renaissance through the likes of Filippino Lippi and Leonardo da Vinci.
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Next Episode
Ep. 17: Rethinking Christopher Columbus
All across the United States debates are flaring up around the legacy of Christopher Columbus and social traditions that spawned from his journey across the Atlantic. In light of a developing history around Columbus, one that highlights his cruelty and questionable navigational ability, the call has been made: eliminate Columbus Day and replace it with a holiday that elevates those who fell victim to his imperial mode of 'discovery.'
Based on thorough historical analysis, The Italian Renaissance Podcast supports this notion. This episode looks to lay out the argument, supported by contemporary, medieval, and renaissance sources, in order to exam the facts around Columbus. Additionally, it looks at the voice of the opposition, the stakes of cultural heritage, and the difficulties of nationalistic patriotism in light of this essential moment that bridges the Renaissance to the modern Americas.
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