Halls 10/14 – Botticelli
This large room is one of the most famous of the Uffizi, being displayed some of the greatest works by Sandro Botticelli.
Among the many paintings, two have entered the collective visual imagination as the essence of the Renaissance: The Birth of Venus (c. 1484) and The Spring (c. 1482). These masterpieces are permeated by mysterious associations not completely deciphered yet.
Botticelli moved in the Neoplatonic Academy where Lorenzo de’ Medici, called the Magnificient, had got together the intellectual elite of the late XV century Florence. Greek philosopher Plato came back to the fore during the Renaissance, thanks the numerous translations of ancient books. Neoplatonism tried to blend Plato’s philosophy with Christianity. According to this new way of conceiving reality, man is free to choose God or the matter and the spiritual uplifting can only be achieved through love, harmony and ideal beauty.
During these years Botticelli “translated” into paintings the ideals of the Neoplatonic circle, with his distinctive refined and elegant style.
In the room, however, there’s at least another masterpiece worth to admire: the stunning Portinari Triptych by Flemish artist Hugo van der Goes. The painting was brought in Florence in 1483, and influenced generations of Florentine artists, as well as Botticelli. Flemish masters used to paint in oil, a special technique that allowed a more visible effect of softness and realism and an incredible precision in defining the details of the work.
