Sandro Botticelli

Sandro Botticelli was an Italian painter of the early Renaissance whose graceful figures remain among the most beloved images in art. Born in Florence around 1445, he worked under the powerful Medici family and became known for flowing lines, delicate faces, and an elegant sense of beauty. His two most famous paintings, The Birth of Venus and Primavera, show mythological figures in dreamy, poetic scenes.

Later in life, under the influence of a fiery religious preacher, his work grew more intense and devout. His reputation faded for centuries after his death and was only fully revived in the nineteenth century, when admirers rediscovered his charm and grace. Today Botticelli's lyrical, flowing figures are seen as a high point of Florentine Renaissance painting.