Botticelli's Spring and Michelangelo's Creation of Adam - Essay Example

Topic: Botticellis "spring" and Michelangelos "Creation of Adam" Sandro Botticelli 1444-1510 was a great painter of the Florence tradition, second only to Masaccio. His painting La Primavera is known also by the name of ‘Allegory of Spring’. It is painted with such finesse that it seems like a natural song, combining a soothing touch of old tradition with a languid concurrent feeling. Crafting of looks and contours is so majestic and brilliant that it looks a piece of art accomplished effortlessly. Botticelli’s Primavera was made to beautify the villa of Lorenzo di Pier Francesco de Medici, situated on the outskirts of Florence. Botticelli’s Primavera and the Birth of Venus are mythological paintings where storyline is seriously pursued with due respect to its mythological lineage. Goddess Venus is depicted as Virgin Mary in unique style. Michelangelo Buonarotti 1475-1564 was the most gifted painter of the Renaissance times, outshining other artists in fine art, sculptor, and architecture. The Creation of Adam – is central to his Sistine Chapel frescoes . Michelangelo’s faith in the outward beauty is reinforced through the Creation of Adam. This can be seen in his early poetry as well where he links beauty to divinity. The Creation of Adam is a wonder in art in the sense that he has made the touch of the Divine hand central to the picture and symbol of the power of the Creator. Michelangelo was responsible for transforming the history of culture. As Wolfff\lin in Classic Art, Trans. 1952 comments: “If any one man may be held responsible for major changes in the history of culture, that man was Michelangelo, who brought about the generalized heroic style and caused place and time to be disregarded’(Stokes, 1955: 106). The delineation of Sixteenth century dress and architecture was exaggerated not at the cost of characterization but to provide dignity in presentation, it was enlarged as ‘its flowers grew from the old soil, but they waxed bigger’(Stokes, 1955: 106). It was a period of resurgence of interest in the art and culture of Greece and Rome by European civilizations. It was a reaction to the rigidity of feudalism and Church of the medieval period where individual interests were subservient to society, ruled by feudal lords for material needs and Church for spiritual aspirations. The Renaissance started in the creation of city states like Venice, Florence, and Milan, self-sustaining and creating Franciscan humanism. Such states provided economic means to keep both ends meet to the artists who were earlier dependent on royalty patronage for survival. Technically, it could become possible only in Italy because feudalism was not as powerful here as it was in the whole of Europe. A new civilized society wanted to be catered to its interests and mode of entertainment . In the words of J. H. Plumb: “Culture was constantly extended, thereby creating opportunities for advancement for those without the privilege of birth or the security of wealth. The gradations in society increased as well as thickened: individual enterprise, creative imagination, and the weight of temperament became of great potential value in a world in which the lines of class structure grew blurred” (qtd. in geocities). The impact of Franciscan movement although was visible in the Giotto frescoes but philosophical element had limited effect over nature because of Renaissance movement that wanted realistic praise of ancient culture due to emerging interest in it. Classical philosophy played a limited role in the emergence of Renaissance humanism, which was a mix of Christian and Classical views, emerging on the horizon of Renaissance over a time of more than 100 years . One can derive the fact after viewing Botticelli paintings that he was impressed by the expertise of Pollaiuolo brothers who were more than just expert painters; they were jacks of all trades – goldsmiths, engravers, and sculptors as well as embroidery designers. One can see the body-outline, slim form and enticing feel associated with Botticelli. There is clearly visible the poetic sense, which remains at a higher level in the presence of touching scenario, body outline and the Humanist argument of the Medici court. His mythological paintings Primavera and the Birth of Venice are full of music element. There is no general agreement about the real topic of the painting – Primavera. There are different theories prevalent among scholars. Such differences cannot subdue the importance of this piece of art, as it is an allegory of life – spring of life, where beauty and knowledge are linked with love. The painter has mirrored the freshness of an early spring morning in his landscape with pale light coming out of trees in the background. Trees are full of golden fruit, resembling perhaps the Golden Apples of the Hesperides (Galleria degli, restored1982). Primavera is one of the masterpieces of Botticelli, which he painted for the villa of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de Medici at Castello. It depicts not only the cultural background of the humanistic circle of Lorenzo de Medici but is manifested with philosophical and literary themes. Mythological characters from left to right are recognizable as such: There are in total eight figures -- Zephyr, Chloris and Flora are on the right side of Venus – symbolizing the arrival of spring, adding to the beauty of nature. Zephyr is chasing the nymph Clori, who changes herself into Flora, goddess of Fecundity; Venus – the goddess of love is in the center, shown as queen of the land, with Cupid throwing a dart to the three goddesses and on the left, the figure of Mercury resembling with mind and spirit, as Mercury is the messenger of the gods, standing for reason, and the three Graces (Aglaia, Euphrosyne and Thalia) are symbols of the sophisticated joys of life. There are flowers scattered allover the grass – symbolic of wedding, which could be a reason of gifting the painting to his cousin by Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco dei medici (Galleria degli, restored1982). Coming to Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam, it is a reflection of his faith in outwardly beauty, although later on due to the truthful impact of Counter-Reformation movement, physical beauty got transformed into spiritual heights . In The Creation of Adam, God is shown as endured by angels, hinting about the “gravity/gravitas” of God. One can see the principles of organization coming together beautifully. It is not clear whether God is extending his hand to reach Adam or distorting something different. Reaching a conclusion about the intent of God is irrelevant before the “magnified” style of God as well as of his angels. The decorative element points towards abundance. Although there has been no reference to God’s finger in biblical narratives except only once of God’s finger and at other place, there is reference to God’s spirit while creating Adam. It creates a parallel of Michelangelo’s hand painting God’s hand, suggesting to think upon the different meanings of spirit/inspire/breathe, suggesting that both bodies – Adam’s is not spirited but God is live and breathing. Water flowing beside suggests that God is inspiring the world. Michelangelo is suggesting a comparison of both figures (Session with Paul Barolsky 2006). Picking these pieces of art for writing was a choice made on the basis of the popularity of both the artists as representers of the time period. Botticelli has been discussed vastly and before Botticelli, there had been a tradition of masters of the times, which he followed and represented. Botticelli is one of the well known artists of Italian Renaissance and his works represent the specific features of the renaissance period. Before him, there was great tradition of Masaccio and Pollaiuolo brothers from whom Botticelli learned and imbibed a lot. So all the features of the age get represented in the works of Botticelli, particularly Primavera. Worth mentioning has been his contrast of “wistful melancholy that appears on the faces of many of his figures contrasts with his character as described by Vasari, who tells us that Botticelli was a merry fellow with a fondness for practical jokes,” as seen in the Italian Renaissance art (Carrie). Michelangelo was master of more than one genres; his poems exhibit his vast expanse of creativity synonymous of renaissance times, which culminated in the freedom from the feudalism of medieval times and austerity of Church. Impressed from the counter-reformation movement, his art forms touch a metyphysical height from the outer physical form to the spiritual abode. Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam is one of his early paintings, in which we find the glimpses of his faith in materialistic world . His piece of art inspires the looker to see different contexts in which the spirit of God inhibits in humanity, as one can see in the Creation of Adam – where both bodies are same, but God is animated but Adam is yet to get that breath of life – spirit – from God. One cannot decide on the purpose of God in extending his hand to Adam – whether God is extending his hand to Adam or trying to reach the hand of Adam and struggling in his effort so that God may give new breathing and life to Adam. Michelangelo asks you to ponder the various meanings of spirit/inspire/breath: similar bodies (his and Adam’s), but God’s is animated (with Spirit) while Adam’s is not yet. It is highly thought-provoking piece of art (Session with Paul Barolsky 2006). Works Cited List Carrie. Chapter 7: Italian Renaissance Art. 5 November 2007 Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. La Primavera, "Allegory of Spring"1477-78. 5 November 2007 . Mythology and Ideology in Italian Renaissance Art. 5 November 2007 . Session with Paul Barolsky. Paul Barolsky Seminar Notes. 5 June 2006: 3-4. 5 November 2007 . Stokes, Adrian. Michelangelo: A Study in the Nature of Art Part 11. 1955:106. 5 November 2007 . The Creation of Adam. Michelangelo Buonarotti 1475-1564. 5 November 2007 . Read More