Sandro Botticelli, Primavera, c. 1482, tempera on panel, 80
The Italian painter Sandro Botticelli was a master of the Early Renaissance, which means that people saw a new naturalism in his art as well as the influence of Classical Antiquity in subject matter and style.
Botticelli landed a great job working in Florence for the Medici family, for whom he created numerous paintings. An example is his Primavera, an allegory of Spring depicted with mythological figures. The artist arranged the figures across the foreground in a manner that is reminiscent of an ancient frieze. The three ladies at the left dressed in white are directly inspired by Classical images of the Three Graces (goddesses of charm, beauty, and creativity). Botticelli is celebrated for his linear style of painting, which means he emphasized the elegant and graceful contours of forms with outline.
