The Bacchanal of the Andrians

Prompt: Describe the characteristics of the Mythology in The Bacchanal of the Andrians's Description and style.

The painting is set on the island of Andros. A sleeping nymph and a urinating boy are seen in the lower right foreground while men and women celebrate with jugs of wine. The absence of Bacchus from the painting is explained by Erwin Panofsky, who suggests that the god must be on the departing ship seen in the center background. Due to the artistic liberties Titian took in painting these figures, it is difficult to identify them.The decorative programme included other major paintings celebrating Bacchus and Venus, the gods of wine and love. Like its predecessor Bacchus and Ariadne, The Bacchanal of the Andrians was inspired by the Imagines of Philostratus.

Category:Mythological paintings by Titian

File:The Andrians (Peter Paul Rubens) - Nationalmuseum - 17603.tif

Category:Paintings by Titian in the Museo del Prado

File:Tiziano, Bacchanal of the Andrians 02.jpg

Category:Paintings commissioned for the camerini d'alabastro


The Bacchanal of the Andrians

Prompt: In the context of The Bacchanal of the Andrians, explain the Characters and the Description and style.

In the foreground, to the right there is the sensual nude of a nymph-bacchante with light complexion, an educated citation of the Sleeping Ariadne, with the right elbow raised and the arm bent behind the head, a convention used to represent the sleep. She, wrote Vasari, "is so beautiful to appear alive".A little behind a puer mingens raises up his tunic, "pees in a river and reflects himself in water", as always Vasari described him, while at the center two young girls chatter lying on the ground, enlightened by full light. One of them, without turning, raises up her plate, in which a nude man pours wine from a pitcher. Another man is touching with impunity her ankle, but he's also turning his face to a dancer who seems about to stumble: he cites faithfully a character from the Battle of Cascina of Michelangelo, who is visible below to the right in the copy of Aristotile da Sangallo. In spite of the gesture the man and the woman seem to ignore each other: the strong sense of beauty and joy, even erotic, is never disturbed by vulgar attitudes.To the left an overweight man, who resembles Silenus, is kneeling half-nude and drinks with pleasure from a pitcher, just filled from the wine river, from which also a boy is drawing. In the background, under the shadow of a wood, a servant (who is holding on his shoulders a spirals krater full of wine) and two singers are visible. A little to the right there is the dancers group, in which stand out both a man who is trying to do the juggler by holding a transparent jug full of wine on the tip of his fingers and the couple in full light, the clothes of whom are lighted with shining reflections of matter. The youngster seen from behind is holding an ivy crown, plant sacred to Dionysus, while the other sacred plant, the vine, is visible upward, rooted among the trees fronds. The female dancer wearing a white tunic resembles the woman in red in the center of the scene, who also remind of the presumed mistress of Titian, i.e. the blond woman with curly hair appearing for example also in the two paintings Flora (Titian) and Woman with a Mirror. The violets between the hair of the central female figure might be a reference to the name Violante: a tradition states as a matter of fact that Titian's mistress was Palma il Vecchio's daughter, who was exactly called so.

Category:Mythological paintings by Titian

File:The Andrians (Peter Paul Rubens) - Nationalmuseum - 17603.tif

Category:Paintings by Titian in the Museo del Prado

File:Tiziano, Bacchanal of the Andrians 02.jpg

Category:Paintings commissioned for the camerini d'alabastro


The Bacchanal of the Andrians

Prompt: Explain the Characters about the Description and style of this artwork, The Bacchanal of the Andrians.

In the foreground, to the right there is the sensual nude of a nymph-bacchante with light complexion, an educated citation of the Sleeping Ariadne, with the right elbow raised and the arm bent behind the head, a convention used to represent the sleep. She, wrote Vasari, "is so beautiful to appear alive".A little behind a puer mingens raises up his tunic, "pees in a river and reflects himself in water", as always Vasari described him, while at the center two young girls chatter lying on the ground, enlightened by full light. One of them, without turning, raises up her plate, in which a nude man pours wine from a pitcher. Another man is touching with impunity her ankle, but he's also turning his face to a dancer who seems about to stumble: he cites faithfully a character from the Battle of Cascina of Michelangelo, who is visible below to the right in the copy of Aristotile da Sangallo. In spite of the gesture the man and the woman seem to ignore each other: the strong sense of beauty and joy, even erotic, is never disturbed by vulgar attitudes.To the left an overweight man, who resembles Silenus, is kneeling half-nude and drinks with pleasure from a pitcher, just filled from the wine river, from which also a boy is drawing. In the background, under the shadow of a wood, a servant (who is holding on his shoulders a spirals krater full of wine) and two singers are visible. A little to the right there is the dancers group, in which stand out both a man who is trying to do the juggler by holding a transparent jug full of wine on the tip of his fingers and the couple in full light, the clothes of whom are lighted with shining reflections of matter. The youngster seen from behind is holding an ivy crown, plant sacred to Dionysus, while the other sacred plant, the vine, is visible upward, rooted among the trees fronds. The female dancer wearing a white tunic resembles the woman in red in the center of the scene, who also remind of the presumed mistress of Titian, i.e. the blond woman with curly hair appearing for example also in the two paintings Flora (Titian) and Woman with a Mirror. The violets between the hair of the central female figure might be a reference to the name Violante: a tradition states as a matter of fact that Titian's mistress was Palma il Vecchio's daughter, who was exactly called so.

Category:Mythological paintings by Titian

File:The Andrians (Peter Paul Rubens) - Nationalmuseum - 17603.tif

Category:Paintings by Titian in the Museo del Prado

File:Tiziano, Bacchanal of the Andrians 02.jpg

Category:Paintings commissioned for the camerini d'alabastro


The Bacchanal of the Andrians

Prompt: In The Bacchanal of the Andrians, how is the Characters of the Description and style explained?

In the foreground, to the right there is the sensual nude of a nymph-bacchante with light complexion, an educated citation of the Sleeping Ariadne, with the right elbow raised and the arm bent behind the head, a convention used to represent the sleep. She, wrote Vasari, "is so beautiful to appear alive".A little behind a puer mingens raises up his tunic, "pees in a river and reflects himself in water", as always Vasari described him, while at the center two young girls chatter lying on the ground, enlightened by full light. One of them, without turning, raises up her plate, in which a nude man pours wine from a pitcher. Another man is touching with impunity her ankle, but he's also turning his face to a dancer who seems about to stumble: he cites faithfully a character from the Battle of Cascina of Michelangelo, who is visible below to the right in the copy of Aristotile da Sangallo. In spite of the gesture the man and the woman seem to ignore each other: the strong sense of beauty and joy, even erotic, is never disturbed by vulgar attitudes.To the left an overweight man, who resembles Silenus, is kneeling half-nude and drinks with pleasure from a pitcher, just filled from the wine river, from which also a boy is drawing. In the background, under the shadow of a wood, a servant (who is holding on his shoulders a spirals krater full of wine) and two singers are visible. A little to the right there is the dancers group, in which stand out both a man who is trying to do the juggler by holding a transparent jug full of wine on the tip of his fingers and the couple in full light, the clothes of whom are lighted with shining reflections of matter. The youngster seen from behind is holding an ivy crown, plant sacred to Dionysus, while the other sacred plant, the vine, is visible upward, rooted among the trees fronds. The female dancer wearing a white tunic resembles the woman in red in the center of the scene, who also remind of the presumed mistress of Titian, i.e. the blond woman with curly hair appearing for example also in the two paintings Flora (Titian) and Woman with a Mirror. The violets between the hair of the central female figure might be a reference to the name Violante: a tradition states as a matter of fact that Titian's mistress was Palma il Vecchio's daughter, who was exactly called so.

Category:Mythological paintings by Titian

File:The Andrians (Peter Paul Rubens) - Nationalmuseum - 17603.tif

Category:Paintings by Titian in the Museo del Prado

File:Tiziano, Bacchanal of the Andrians 02.jpg

Category:Paintings commissioned for the camerini d'alabastro


The Bacchanal of the Andrians

Prompt: Describe the characteristics of the Characters in The Bacchanal of the Andrians's Description and style.

In the foreground, to the right there is the sensual nude of a nymph-bacchante with light complexion, an educated citation of the Sleeping Ariadne, with the right elbow raised and the arm bent behind the head, a convention used to represent the sleep. She, wrote Vasari, "is so beautiful to appear alive".A little behind a puer mingens raises up his tunic, "pees in a river and reflects himself in water", as always Vasari described him, while at the center two young girls chatter lying on the ground, enlightened by full light. One of them, without turning, raises up her plate, in which a nude man pours wine from a pitcher. Another man is touching with impunity her ankle, but he's also turning his face to a dancer who seems about to stumble: he cites faithfully a character from the Battle of Cascina of Michelangelo, who is visible below to the right in the copy of Aristotile da Sangallo. In spite of the gesture the man and the woman seem to ignore each other: the strong sense of beauty and joy, even erotic, is never disturbed by vulgar attitudes.To the left an overweight man, who resembles Silenus, is kneeling half-nude and drinks with pleasure from a pitcher, just filled from the wine river, from which also a boy is drawing. In the background, under the shadow of a wood, a servant (who is holding on his shoulders a spirals krater full of wine) and two singers are visible. A little to the right there is the dancers group, in which stand out both a man who is trying to do the juggler by holding a transparent jug full of wine on the tip of his fingers and the couple in full light, the clothes of whom are lighted with shining reflections of matter. The youngster seen from behind is holding an ivy crown, plant sacred to Dionysus, while the other sacred plant, the vine, is visible upward, rooted among the trees fronds. The female dancer wearing a white tunic resembles the woman in red in the center of the scene, who also remind of the presumed mistress of Titian, i.e. the blond woman with curly hair appearing for example also in the two paintings Flora (Titian) and Woman with a Mirror. The violets between the hair of the central female figure might be a reference to the name Violante: a tradition states as a matter of fact that Titian's mistress was Palma il Vecchio's daughter, who was exactly called so.

Category:Mythological paintings by Titian

File:The Andrians (Peter Paul Rubens) - Nationalmuseum - 17603.tif

Category:Paintings by Titian in the Museo del Prado

File:Tiziano, Bacchanal of the Andrians 02.jpg

Category:Paintings commissioned for the camerini d'alabastro


The Bacchanal of the Andrians

Prompt: In the context of The Bacchanal of the Andrians, explain the Music and the Description and style.

The musical score lying in the foreground, suggesting a link between music and Dionysian pleasures, is a whimsical canon in French:The song is attributed to Ferrarese court musician Adrian Willaert. Its presence in the painting hints at the connection between music theory in Ferrara and Titian's musically influenced use of color.In the painting, however, none of the instruments are being played. The only instruments portrayed are the "straight flute". Two are held by the girls in the foreground, and a third is on the ground behind them and near a glass of wine, an overturned metal cup, and a tray of libations.

Category:Mythological paintings by Titian

File:The Andrians (Peter Paul Rubens) - Nationalmuseum - 17603.tif

Category:Paintings by Titian in the Museo del Prado

File:Tiziano, Bacchanal of the Andrians 02.jpg

Category:Paintings commissioned for the camerini d'alabastro


The Bacchanal of the Andrians

Prompt: Explain the Music about the Description and style of this artwork, The Bacchanal of the Andrians.

The musical score lying in the foreground, suggesting a link between music and Dionysian pleasures, is a whimsical canon in French:The song is attributed to Ferrarese court musician Adrian Willaert. Its presence in the painting hints at the connection between music theory in Ferrara and Titian's musically influenced use of color.In the painting, however, none of the instruments are being played. The only instruments portrayed are the "straight flute". Two are held by the girls in the foreground, and a third is on the ground behind them and near a glass of wine, an overturned metal cup, and a tray of libations.

Category:Mythological paintings by Titian

File:The Andrians (Peter Paul Rubens) - Nationalmuseum - 17603.tif

Category:Paintings by Titian in the Museo del Prado

File:Tiziano, Bacchanal of the Andrians 02.jpg

Category:Paintings commissioned for the camerini d'alabastro


The Bacchanal of the Andrians

Prompt: In The Bacchanal of the Andrians, how is the Music of the Description and style explained?

The musical score lying in the foreground, suggesting a link between music and Dionysian pleasures, is a whimsical canon in French:The song is attributed to Ferrarese court musician Adrian Willaert. Its presence in the painting hints at the connection between music theory in Ferrara and Titian's musically influenced use of color.In the painting, however, none of the instruments are being played. The only instruments portrayed are the "straight flute". Two are held by the girls in the foreground, and a third is on the ground behind them and near a glass of wine, an overturned metal cup, and a tray of libations.

Category:Mythological paintings by Titian

File:The Andrians (Peter Paul Rubens) - Nationalmuseum - 17603.tif

Category:Paintings by Titian in the Museo del Prado

File:Tiziano, Bacchanal of the Andrians 02.jpg

Category:Paintings commissioned for the camerini d'alabastro


The Bacchanal of the Andrians

Prompt: Describe the characteristics of the Music in The Bacchanal of the Andrians's Description and style.

The musical score lying in the foreground, suggesting a link between music and Dionysian pleasures, is a whimsical canon in French:The song is attributed to Ferrarese court musician Adrian Willaert. Its presence in the painting hints at the connection between music theory in Ferrara and Titian's musically influenced use of color.In the painting, however, none of the instruments are being played. The only instruments portrayed are the "straight flute". Two are held by the girls in the foreground, and a third is on the ground behind them and near a glass of wine, an overturned metal cup, and a tray of libations.

Category:Mythological paintings by Titian

File:The Andrians (Peter Paul Rubens) - Nationalmuseum - 17603.tif

Category:Paintings by Titian in the Museo del Prado

File:Tiziano, Bacchanal of the Andrians 02.jpg

Category:Paintings commissioned for the camerini d'alabastro


Allegory of Prudence

Prompt: Focus on Allegory of Prudence and explain the abstract.

The Allegory of Prudence (c. 1550–1565) is an oil-on-canvas painting attributed to the Italian artist Titian and his assistants. The painting portrays three human heads, each facing in a different direction, above three animal heads (from left to right, a wolf, a lion and a dog). It is in the National Gallery, London.The painting is usually interpreted as operating on a number of levels. At the first level, the different ages of the three human heads represent the three ages of man (from left to right: old age, maturity and youth), a subject that Titian had depicted 50 years earlier in his The Three Ages of Man. The different directions in which they are facing reflect a second, wider concept of time itself as having a past, present and future. This theme is repeated in the animal heads: an animal with three heads (wolf, lion, dog) to represent the passage of time (past, present, future) is associated with Serapis in Macrobius's Saturnalia, and associated with Apollo by Petrarch, and the iconography is repeated for example in the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili of Francesco Colonna (1499), the Hieroglyphica of  Pierio Valeriano (1556), and the Iconologia of Cesare Ripa (1643).  The third level, from which the painting has acquired its present name, is suggested by a barely visible inscription above the portraits: EX PRÆTE/RITO // PRÆSENS PRVDEN/TER AGIT // NI FVTVRA / ACTIONĒ DE/TVRPET (Latin for "from the experience of the past, the present acts prudently, lest it spoil future actions".)It has been argued that the human faces are actual portraits of the aged Titian, his son Orazio, and his young nephew, Marco Vecellio, who, like Orazio, lived and worked with Titian. Erwin Panofsky, in his classic exposition, suggests that the painting is specifically related to the negotiations associated with the passing on of Titian's property to the younger generations, in the light of his approaching death. The painting therefore acts as a visual counsel to the three generations to act prudently in the administration of the inheritance. Nicholas Penny is, however, highly sceptical of this, and points out discrepancies between the human heads and other evidence of the individuals' appearance. He doubts it was a personal project of any sort and feels that is "surely more likely that the painting was commissioned". Others are also of the opinion that the three heads are not Titian and his family. One reason is that there are no portraits of Orazio or Marco, so confirmation that they are the figures is difficult.More recently the painting has been explained in quite different ways. Instead of an allegory of prudence, it has been seen as an allegory about sin and penitence. On this view, it amounts to an admission by Titian that his failure to act prudently in his youth and middle age has condemned him to lead a regretful old age.At the other extreme, the painting has been explained as asserting that the prudence which comes with experience and old age is an essential aspect of artistic discrimination and judgement. On this interpretation, the painting therefore acts as a rebuttal of the view that old age is the enemy of artistic achievement. On a more general level, the painting's depiction of Titian with his assistants Orazio and Marco is also intended as a defence of the prudence of the continuity of the Venetian workshop tradition.The painting was presented to the National Gallery in 1966 by the art dealer David Koetser and his wife Betty.

category:Allegorical paintings by Italian artists

Category:Paintings by Titian in the National Gallery, London


Allegory of Prudence

Prompt: Explain the abstract of this artwork, Allegory of Prudence.

The Allegory of Prudence (c. 1550–1565) is an oil-on-canvas painting attributed to the Italian artist Titian and his assistants. The painting portrays three human heads, each facing in a different direction, above three animal heads (from left to right, a wolf, a lion and a dog). It is in the National Gallery, London.The painting is usually interpreted as operating on a number of levels. At the first level, the different ages of the three human heads represent the three ages of man (from left to right: old age, maturity and youth), a subject that Titian had depicted 50 years earlier in his The Three Ages of Man. The different directions in which they are facing reflect a second, wider concept of time itself as having a past, present and future. This theme is repeated in the animal heads: an animal with three heads (wolf, lion, dog) to represent the passage of time (past, present, future) is associated with Serapis in Macrobius's Saturnalia, and associated with Apollo by Petrarch, and the iconography is repeated for example in the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili of Francesco Colonna (1499), the Hieroglyphica of  Pierio Valeriano (1556), and the Iconologia of Cesare Ripa (1643).  The third level, from which the painting has acquired its present name, is suggested by a barely visible inscription above the portraits: EX PRÆTE/RITO // PRÆSENS PRVDEN/TER AGIT // NI FVTVRA / ACTIONĒ DE/TVRPET (Latin for "from the experience of the past, the present acts prudently, lest it spoil future actions".)It has been argued that the human faces are actual portraits of the aged Titian, his son Orazio, and his young nephew, Marco Vecellio, who, like Orazio, lived and worked with Titian. Erwin Panofsky, in his classic exposition, suggests that the painting is specifically related to the negotiations associated with the passing on of Titian's property to the younger generations, in the light of his approaching death. The painting therefore acts as a visual counsel to the three generations to act prudently in the administration of the inheritance. Nicholas Penny is, however, highly sceptical of this, and points out discrepancies between the human heads and other evidence of the individuals' appearance. He doubts it was a personal project of any sort and feels that is "surely more likely that the painting was commissioned". Others are also of the opinion that the three heads are not Titian and his family. One reason is that there are no portraits of Orazio or Marco, so confirmation that they are the figures is difficult.More recently the painting has been explained in quite different ways. Instead of an allegory of prudence, it has been seen as an allegory about sin and penitence. On this view, it amounts to an admission by Titian that his failure to act prudently in his youth and middle age has condemned him to lead a regretful old age.At the other extreme, the painting has been explained as asserting that the prudence which comes with experience and old age is an essential aspect of artistic discrimination and judgement. On this interpretation, the painting therefore acts as a rebuttal of the view that old age is the enemy of artistic achievement. On a more general level, the painting's depiction of Titian with his assistants Orazio and Marco is also intended as a defence of the prudence of the continuity of the Venetian workshop tradition.The painting was presented to the National Gallery in 1966 by the art dealer David Koetser and his wife Betty.

category:Allegorical paintings by Italian artists

Category:Paintings by Titian in the National Gallery, London


Allegory of Prudence

Prompt: How does Allegory of Prudence explain its abstract?

The Allegory of Prudence (c. 1550–1565) is an oil-on-canvas painting attributed to the Italian artist Titian and his assistants. The painting portrays three human heads, each facing in a different direction, above three animal heads (from left to right, a wolf, a lion and a dog). It is in the National Gallery, London.The painting is usually interpreted as operating on a number of levels. At the first level, the different ages of the three human heads represent the three ages of man (from left to right: old age, maturity and youth), a subject that Titian had depicted 50 years earlier in his The Three Ages of Man. The different directions in which they are facing reflect a second, wider concept of time itself as having a past, present and future. This theme is repeated in the animal heads: an animal with three heads (wolf, lion, dog) to represent the passage of time (past, present, future) is associated with Serapis in Macrobius's Saturnalia, and associated with Apollo by Petrarch, and the iconography is repeated for example in the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili of Francesco Colonna (1499), the Hieroglyphica of  Pierio Valeriano (1556), and the Iconologia of Cesare Ripa (1643).  The third level, from which the painting has acquired its present name, is suggested by a barely visible inscription above the portraits: EX PRÆTE/RITO // PRÆSENS PRVDEN/TER AGIT // NI FVTVRA / ACTIONĒ DE/TVRPET (Latin for "from the experience of the past, the present acts prudently, lest it spoil future actions".)It has been argued that the human faces are actual portraits of the aged Titian, his son Orazio, and his young nephew, Marco Vecellio, who, like Orazio, lived and worked with Titian. Erwin Panofsky, in his classic exposition, suggests that the painting is specifically related to the negotiations associated with the passing on of Titian's property to the younger generations, in the light of his approaching death. The painting therefore acts as a visual counsel to the three generations to act prudently in the administration of the inheritance. Nicholas Penny is, however, highly sceptical of this, and points out discrepancies between the human heads and other evidence of the individuals' appearance. He doubts it was a personal project of any sort and feels that is "surely more likely that the painting was commissioned". Others are also of the opinion that the three heads are not Titian and his family. One reason is that there are no portraits of Orazio or Marco, so confirmation that they are the figures is difficult.More recently the painting has been explained in quite different ways. Instead of an allegory of prudence, it has been seen as an allegory about sin and penitence. On this view, it amounts to an admission by Titian that his failure to act prudently in his youth and middle age has condemned him to lead a regretful old age.At the other extreme, the painting has been explained as asserting that the prudence which comes with experience and old age is an essential aspect of artistic discrimination and judgement. On this interpretation, the painting therefore acts as a rebuttal of the view that old age is the enemy of artistic achievement. On a more general level, the painting's depiction of Titian with his assistants Orazio and Marco is also intended as a defence of the prudence of the continuity of the Venetian workshop tradition.The painting was presented to the National Gallery in 1966 by the art dealer David Koetser and his wife Betty.

category:Allegorical paintings by Italian artists

Category:Paintings by Titian in the National Gallery, London


Allegory of Prudence

Prompt: In Allegory of Prudence, how is the abstract discussed?

The Allegory of Prudence (c. 1550–1565) is an oil-on-canvas painting attributed to the Italian artist Titian and his assistants. The painting portrays three human heads, each facing in a different direction, above three animal heads (from left to right, a wolf, a lion and a dog). It is in the National Gallery, London.The painting is usually interpreted as operating on a number of levels. At the first level, the different ages of the three human heads represent the three ages of man (from left to right: old age, maturity and youth), a subject that Titian had depicted 50 years earlier in his The Three Ages of Man. The different directions in which they are facing reflect a second, wider concept of time itself as having a past, present and future. This theme is repeated in the animal heads: an animal with three heads (wolf, lion, dog) to represent the passage of time (past, present, future) is associated with Serapis in Macrobius's Saturnalia, and associated with Apollo by Petrarch, and the iconography is repeated for example in the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili of Francesco Colonna (1499), the Hieroglyphica of  Pierio Valeriano (1556), and the Iconologia of Cesare Ripa (1643).  The third level, from which the painting has acquired its present name, is suggested by a barely visible inscription above the portraits: EX PRÆTE/RITO // PRÆSENS PRVDEN/TER AGIT // NI FVTVRA / ACTIONĒ DE/TVRPET (Latin for "from the experience of the past, the present acts prudently, lest it spoil future actions".)It has been argued that the human faces are actual portraits of the aged Titian, his son Orazio, and his young nephew, Marco Vecellio, who, like Orazio, lived and worked with Titian. Erwin Panofsky, in his classic exposition, suggests that the painting is specifically related to the negotiations associated with the passing on of Titian's property to the younger generations, in the light of his approaching death. The painting therefore acts as a visual counsel to the three generations to act prudently in the administration of the inheritance. Nicholas Penny is, however, highly sceptical of this, and points out discrepancies between the human heads and other evidence of the individuals' appearance. He doubts it was a personal project of any sort and feels that is "surely more likely that the painting was commissioned". Others are also of the opinion that the three heads are not Titian and his family. One reason is that there are no portraits of Orazio or Marco, so confirmation that they are the figures is difficult.More recently the painting has been explained in quite different ways. Instead of an allegory of prudence, it has been seen as an allegory about sin and penitence. On this view, it amounts to an admission by Titian that his failure to act prudently in his youth and middle age has condemned him to lead a regretful old age.At the other extreme, the painting has been explained as asserting that the prudence which comes with experience and old age is an essential aspect of artistic discrimination and judgement. On this interpretation, the painting therefore acts as a rebuttal of the view that old age is the enemy of artistic achievement. On a more general level, the painting's depiction of Titian with his assistants Orazio and Marco is also intended as a defence of the prudence of the continuity of the Venetian workshop tradition.The painting was presented to the National Gallery in 1966 by the art dealer David Koetser and his wife Betty.

category:Allegorical paintings by Italian artists

Category:Paintings by Titian in the National Gallery, London


Music in the Tuileries

Prompt: Focus on Music in the Tuileries and explain the abstract.

Music in the Tuileries is an 1862 oil-on-canvas painting by Édouard Manet. It is owned by the National Gallery, London and the Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin as part of the shared Lane Bequest.The work is an early example of Manet's painterly style, inspired by Frans Hals and Diego Velázquez, and it is a harbinger of his lifelong interest in the subject of leisure. The painting influenced Manet's contemporaries – such as Monet, Renoir and Bazille – to paint similar large groups of people.The painting depicts the gatherings of Parisians at weekly concerts in the Tuileries gardens near the Louvre, although no musicians are depicted. While the picture was regarded as unfinished by some, the suggested atmosphere imparts a sense of what the Tuileries gardens were like at the time; one may imagine the music and conversation.The iron chairs in the foreground had just replaced the wooden chairs in the garden in 1862. Manet has included several of his friends, artists, authors, and musicians who take part, and a self-portrait. Manet is depicted on the far left; next to him is another painter Albert de Balleroy. To their right, seated, is sculptor and critic Zacharie Astruc. Manet's brother Eugène Manet is in foreground, right of centre, with white trousers; the composer Jacques Offenbach with glasses and moustache sits against a tree to the right; critic Théophile Gautier stands against a tree in brown suit and full beard, while author Charles Baudelaire is to the left of Gautier. Henri Fantin-Latour is further left, with beard, looking at the viewer. The fair-haired child in the centre is Léon Leenhoff. It has been noted that several of those depicted were prominent French Wagnerians, and speculated that the music being played might be by Wagner himself.The work measures 76.2 × 118.1 centimetres (30.0 × 46.5 in). It was first exhibited in 1863, and Manet sold the painting to opera singer and collector Jean-Baptiste Faure in January of 1883, shortly before Manet's death. It was sold on to dealer Paul Durand-Ruel in 1898, and then to collector Sir Hugh Lane in 1903. After Lane's death, when RMS Lusitania was sunk in 1915, an unwitnessed codicil to his will left the painting to the Dublin City Gallery (now known as The Hugh Lane). The codicil was found to be invalid, and in 1917 a court case decided that his previous will left the work to the National Gallery in London. After intervention from the Irish government, the two galleries reached a compromise in 1959, agreeing to share the paintings, with half of the Lane Bequest lent and shown in Dublin every five years. The agreement was varied in 1993 so that 31 of the 39 paintings would stay in Ireland, and four of the remaining eight would be lent to Dublin for six years at a time.

Category:Cultural depictions of Charles Baudelaire

Category:Paintings in the National Gallery, London


Music in the Tuileries

Prompt: Explain the abstract of this artwork, Music in the Tuileries.

Music in the Tuileries is an 1862 oil-on-canvas painting by Édouard Manet. It is owned by the National Gallery, London and the Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin as part of the shared Lane Bequest.The work is an early example of Manet's painterly style, inspired by Frans Hals and Diego Velázquez, and it is a harbinger of his lifelong interest in the subject of leisure. The painting influenced Manet's contemporaries – such as Monet, Renoir and Bazille – to paint similar large groups of people.The painting depicts the gatherings of Parisians at weekly concerts in the Tuileries gardens near the Louvre, although no musicians are depicted. While the picture was regarded as unfinished by some, the suggested atmosphere imparts a sense of what the Tuileries gardens were like at the time; one may imagine the music and conversation.The iron chairs in the foreground had just replaced the wooden chairs in the garden in 1862. Manet has included several of his friends, artists, authors, and musicians who take part, and a self-portrait. Manet is depicted on the far left; next to him is another painter Albert de Balleroy. To their right, seated, is sculptor and critic Zacharie Astruc. Manet's brother Eugène Manet is in foreground, right of centre, with white trousers; the composer Jacques Offenbach with glasses and moustache sits against a tree to the right; critic Théophile Gautier stands against a tree in brown suit and full beard, while author Charles Baudelaire is to the left of Gautier. Henri Fantin-Latour is further left, with beard, looking at the viewer. The fair-haired child in the centre is Léon Leenhoff. It has been noted that several of those depicted were prominent French Wagnerians, and speculated that the music being played might be by Wagner himself.The work measures 76.2 × 118.1 centimetres (30.0 × 46.5 in). It was first exhibited in 1863, and Manet sold the painting to opera singer and collector Jean-Baptiste Faure in January of 1883, shortly before Manet's death. It was sold on to dealer Paul Durand-Ruel in 1898, and then to collector Sir Hugh Lane in 1903. After Lane's death, when RMS Lusitania was sunk in 1915, an unwitnessed codicil to his will left the painting to the Dublin City Gallery (now known as The Hugh Lane). The codicil was found to be invalid, and in 1917 a court case decided that his previous will left the work to the National Gallery in London. After intervention from the Irish government, the two galleries reached a compromise in 1959, agreeing to share the paintings, with half of the Lane Bequest lent and shown in Dublin every five years. The agreement was varied in 1993 so that 31 of the 39 paintings would stay in Ireland, and four of the remaining eight would be lent to Dublin for six years at a time.

Category:Cultural depictions of Charles Baudelaire

Category:Paintings in the National Gallery, London


Music in the Tuileries

Prompt: How does Music in the Tuileries explain its abstract?

Music in the Tuileries is an 1862 oil-on-canvas painting by Édouard Manet. It is owned by the National Gallery, London and the Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin as part of the shared Lane Bequest.The work is an early example of Manet's painterly style, inspired by Frans Hals and Diego Velázquez, and it is a harbinger of his lifelong interest in the subject of leisure. The painting influenced Manet's contemporaries – such as Monet, Renoir and Bazille – to paint similar large groups of people.The painting depicts the gatherings of Parisians at weekly concerts in the Tuileries gardens near the Louvre, although no musicians are depicted. While the picture was regarded as unfinished by some, the suggested atmosphere imparts a sense of what the Tuileries gardens were like at the time; one may imagine the music and conversation.The iron chairs in the foreground had just replaced the wooden chairs in the garden in 1862. Manet has included several of his friends, artists, authors, and musicians who take part, and a self-portrait. Manet is depicted on the far left; next to him is another painter Albert de Balleroy. To their right, seated, is sculptor and critic Zacharie Astruc. Manet's brother Eugène Manet is in foreground, right of centre, with white trousers; the composer Jacques Offenbach with glasses and moustache sits against a tree to the right; critic Théophile Gautier stands against a tree in brown suit and full beard, while author Charles Baudelaire is to the left of Gautier. Henri Fantin-Latour is further left, with beard, looking at the viewer. The fair-haired child in the centre is Léon Leenhoff. It has been noted that several of those depicted were prominent French Wagnerians, and speculated that the music being played might be by Wagner himself.The work measures 76.2 × 118.1 centimetres (30.0 × 46.5 in). It was first exhibited in 1863, and Manet sold the painting to opera singer and collector Jean-Baptiste Faure in January of 1883, shortly before Manet's death. It was sold on to dealer Paul Durand-Ruel in 1898, and then to collector Sir Hugh Lane in 1903. After Lane's death, when RMS Lusitania was sunk in 1915, an unwitnessed codicil to his will left the painting to the Dublin City Gallery (now known as The Hugh Lane). The codicil was found to be invalid, and in 1917 a court case decided that his previous will left the work to the National Gallery in London. After intervention from the Irish government, the two galleries reached a compromise in 1959, agreeing to share the paintings, with half of the Lane Bequest lent and shown in Dublin every five years. The agreement was varied in 1993 so that 31 of the 39 paintings would stay in Ireland, and four of the remaining eight would be lent to Dublin for six years at a time.

Category:Cultural depictions of Charles Baudelaire

Category:Paintings in the National Gallery, London


Music in the Tuileries

Prompt: In Music in the Tuileries, how is the abstract discussed?

Music in the Tuileries is an 1862 oil-on-canvas painting by Édouard Manet. It is owned by the National Gallery, London and the Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin as part of the shared Lane Bequest.The work is an early example of Manet's painterly style, inspired by Frans Hals and Diego Velázquez, and it is a harbinger of his lifelong interest in the subject of leisure. The painting influenced Manet's contemporaries – such as Monet, Renoir and Bazille – to paint similar large groups of people.The painting depicts the gatherings of Parisians at weekly concerts in the Tuileries gardens near the Louvre, although no musicians are depicted. While the picture was regarded as unfinished by some, the suggested atmosphere imparts a sense of what the Tuileries gardens were like at the time; one may imagine the music and conversation.The iron chairs in the foreground had just replaced the wooden chairs in the garden in 1862. Manet has included several of his friends, artists, authors, and musicians who take part, and a self-portrait. Manet is depicted on the far left; next to him is another painter Albert de Balleroy. To their right, seated, is sculptor and critic Zacharie Astruc. Manet's brother Eugène Manet is in foreground, right of centre, with white trousers; the composer Jacques Offenbach with glasses and moustache sits against a tree to the right; critic Théophile Gautier stands against a tree in brown suit and full beard, while author Charles Baudelaire is to the left of Gautier. Henri Fantin-Latour is further left, with beard, looking at the viewer. The fair-haired child in the centre is Léon Leenhoff. It has been noted that several of those depicted were prominent French Wagnerians, and speculated that the music being played might be by Wagner himself.The work measures 76.2 × 118.1 centimetres (30.0 × 46.5 in). It was first exhibited in 1863, and Manet sold the painting to opera singer and collector Jean-Baptiste Faure in January of 1883, shortly before Manet's death. It was sold on to dealer Paul Durand-Ruel in 1898, and then to collector Sir Hugh Lane in 1903. After Lane's death, when RMS Lusitania was sunk in 1915, an unwitnessed codicil to his will left the painting to the Dublin City Gallery (now known as The Hugh Lane). The codicil was found to be invalid, and in 1917 a court case decided that his previous will left the work to the National Gallery in London. After intervention from the Irish government, the two galleries reached a compromise in 1959, agreeing to share the paintings, with half of the Lane Bequest lent and shown in Dublin every five years. The agreement was varied in 1993 so that 31 of the 39 paintings would stay in Ireland, and four of the remaining eight would be lent to Dublin for six years at a time.

Category:Cultural depictions of Charles Baudelaire

Category:Paintings in the National Gallery, London


Music in the Tuileries

Prompt: Focus on Music in the Tuileries and explain the Painting materials.

The colors in greater areas of this painting are generally subdued and executed in ochres or in mixtures of several pigments. The dark green foliage in the upper part contains a glaze of emerald green and Scheele's green mixed with yellow lake with small addition of ivory black and yellow ochre. The strong colourful accents in the bonnets and clothes of the children are painted in almost pure pigments such as cobalt blue, vermilion or chrome orange.

Category:Cultural depictions of Charles Baudelaire

Category:Paintings in the National Gallery, London


Music in the Tuileries

Prompt: Explain the Painting materials of this artwork, Music in the Tuileries.

The colors in greater areas of this painting are generally subdued and executed in ochres or in mixtures of several pigments. The dark green foliage in the upper part contains a glaze of emerald green and Scheele's green mixed with yellow lake with small addition of ivory black and yellow ochre. The strong colourful accents in the bonnets and clothes of the children are painted in almost pure pigments such as cobalt blue, vermilion or chrome orange.

Category:Cultural depictions of Charles Baudelaire

Category:Paintings in the National Gallery, London


Music in the Tuileries

Prompt: How does Music in the Tuileries explain its Painting materials?

The colors in greater areas of this painting are generally subdued and executed in ochres or in mixtures of several pigments. The dark green foliage in the upper part contains a glaze of emerald green and Scheele's green mixed with yellow lake with small addition of ivory black and yellow ochre. The strong colourful accents in the bonnets and clothes of the children are painted in almost pure pigments such as cobalt blue, vermilion or chrome orange.

Category:Cultural depictions of Charles Baudelaire

Category:Paintings in the National Gallery, London


Music in the Tuileries

Prompt: In Music in the Tuileries, how is the Painting materials discussed?

The colors in greater areas of this painting are generally subdued and executed in ochres or in mixtures of several pigments. The dark green foliage in the upper part contains a glaze of emerald green and Scheele's green mixed with yellow lake with small addition of ivory black and yellow ochre. The strong colourful accents in the bonnets and clothes of the children are painted in almost pure pigments such as cobalt blue, vermilion or chrome orange.

Category:Cultural depictions of Charles Baudelaire

Category:Paintings in the National Gallery, London


Music in the Tuileries

Prompt: Focus on Music in the Tuileries and explain the Reception.

Music in the Tuileries received substantial critical and public attention, most of it negative. In the words of one Manet biographer, "it is difficult for us to imagine the kind of fury Music in the Tuileries provoked when it was exhibited". By portraying Manet's social circle instead of classical heroes, historical icons, or gods, the painting could be interpreted as challenging the value of those subjects or as an attempt to elevate his contemporaries to the same level. The public, accustomed to the finely detailed brushwork of historical painters such as Ernest Meissonier, thought Manet's thick brushstrokes looked crude and unfinished. Angered by the subject matter and technique, several visitors even threatened to destroy the painting. One of Manet's idols, Eugène Delacroix, was of the painting's few defenders.

Category:Cultural depictions of Charles Baudelaire

Category:Paintings in the National Gallery, London


Music in the Tuileries

Prompt: Explain the Reception of this artwork, Music in the Tuileries.

Music in the Tuileries received substantial critical and public attention, most of it negative. In the words of one Manet biographer, "it is difficult for us to imagine the kind of fury Music in the Tuileries provoked when it was exhibited". By portraying Manet's social circle instead of classical heroes, historical icons, or gods, the painting could be interpreted as challenging the value of those subjects or as an attempt to elevate his contemporaries to the same level. The public, accustomed to the finely detailed brushwork of historical painters such as Ernest Meissonier, thought Manet's thick brushstrokes looked crude and unfinished. Angered by the subject matter and technique, several visitors even threatened to destroy the painting. One of Manet's idols, Eugène Delacroix, was of the painting's few defenders.

Category:Cultural depictions of Charles Baudelaire

Category:Paintings in the National Gallery, London


Music in the Tuileries

Prompt: How does Music in the Tuileries explain its Reception?

Music in the Tuileries received substantial critical and public attention, most of it negative. In the words of one Manet biographer, "it is difficult for us to imagine the kind of fury Music in the Tuileries provoked when it was exhibited". By portraying Manet's social circle instead of classical heroes, historical icons, or gods, the painting could be interpreted as challenging the value of those subjects or as an attempt to elevate his contemporaries to the same level. The public, accustomed to the finely detailed brushwork of historical painters such as Ernest Meissonier, thought Manet's thick brushstrokes looked crude and unfinished. Angered by the subject matter and technique, several visitors even threatened to destroy the painting. One of Manet's idols, Eugène Delacroix, was of the painting's few defenders.

Category:Cultural depictions of Charles Baudelaire

Category:Paintings in the National Gallery, London


Music in the Tuileries

Prompt: In Music in the Tuileries, how is the Reception discussed?

Music in the Tuileries received substantial critical and public attention, most of it negative. In the words of one Manet biographer, "it is difficult for us to imagine the kind of fury Music in the Tuileries provoked when it was exhibited". By portraying Manet's social circle instead of classical heroes, historical icons, or gods, the painting could be interpreted as challenging the value of those subjects or as an attempt to elevate his contemporaries to the same level. The public, accustomed to the finely detailed brushwork of historical painters such as Ernest Meissonier, thought Manet's thick brushstrokes looked crude and unfinished. Angered by the subject matter and technique, several visitors even threatened to destroy the painting. One of Manet's idols, Eugène Delacroix, was of the painting's few defenders.

Category:Cultural depictions of Charles Baudelaire

Category:Paintings in the National Gallery, London


The Mystical Nativity

Prompt: Focus on The Mystical Nativity and explain the abstract.

The Mystical Nativity is a painting in oil on canvas executed c. 1500–1501 by the Italian Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli, in the National Gallery in London. It is his only signed work and has an unusual iconography for a painting of the Nativity.The Greek inscription at the top translates as: 'This picture, at the end of the year 1500, in the troubles of Italy, I, Alessandro, in the half-time after the time, painted, according to the eleventh [chapter] of Saint John, in the second woe of the Apocalypse, during the release of the devil for three and a half years; then he shall be bound in the twelfth [chapter] and we shall see [him buried] as in this picture'. Botticelli believed himself to be living during the Great Tribulation, possibly due to the upheavals in Europe at the time, and was predicting Christ's millennium as stated in the Book of Revelation.The painting is connected with the influence of Girolamo Savonarola, whose influence appears in a number of late paintings by Botticelli, though the contents of the image may have been specified by the person commissioning it. The painting uses the medieval convention of showing the Virgin Mary and infant Jesus larger both than other figures, and their surroundings; this was certainly done deliberately for effect, as earlier works by Botticelli use correct graphical perspective.It is not to be confused with the Mystical Nativity or Adoration in the Forest by Filippo Lippi, now in Berlin.

The Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece

"All those little toes that are climbing down the stairs – you can see the fascination with the patterns of the toes that are circling in the angels of the ''Mystical Nativity'' ... The ''Mystical Nativity'' worked a particular magic on members of the [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Portrait of a Lady known as Esmeralda Brandini

File:Edward Burne-Jones The Golden Stairs.jpg

Savonarola's preaching attracted huge crowds to [[Florence Cathedral

Category:Paintings by Sandro Botticelli in the National Gallery, London

Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857


The Mystical Nativity

Prompt: Explain the abstract of this artwork, The Mystical Nativity.

The Mystical Nativity is a painting in oil on canvas executed c. 1500–1501 by the Italian Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli, in the National Gallery in London. It is his only signed work and has an unusual iconography for a painting of the Nativity.The Greek inscription at the top translates as: 'This picture, at the end of the year 1500, in the troubles of Italy, I, Alessandro, in the half-time after the time, painted, according to the eleventh [chapter] of Saint John, in the second woe of the Apocalypse, during the release of the devil for three and a half years; then he shall be bound in the twelfth [chapter] and we shall see [him buried] as in this picture'. Botticelli believed himself to be living during the Great Tribulation, possibly due to the upheavals in Europe at the time, and was predicting Christ's millennium as stated in the Book of Revelation.The painting is connected with the influence of Girolamo Savonarola, whose influence appears in a number of late paintings by Botticelli, though the contents of the image may have been specified by the person commissioning it. The painting uses the medieval convention of showing the Virgin Mary and infant Jesus larger both than other figures, and their surroundings; this was certainly done deliberately for effect, as earlier works by Botticelli use correct graphical perspective.It is not to be confused with the Mystical Nativity or Adoration in the Forest by Filippo Lippi, now in Berlin.

The Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece

"All those little toes that are climbing down the stairs – you can see the fascination with the patterns of the toes that are circling in the angels of the ''Mystical Nativity'' ... The ''Mystical Nativity'' worked a particular magic on members of the [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Portrait of a Lady known as Esmeralda Brandini

File:Edward Burne-Jones The Golden Stairs.jpg

Savonarola's preaching attracted huge crowds to [[Florence Cathedral

Category:Paintings by Sandro Botticelli in the National Gallery, London

Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857


The Mystical Nativity

Prompt: How does The Mystical Nativity explain its abstract?

The Mystical Nativity is a painting in oil on canvas executed c. 1500–1501 by the Italian Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli, in the National Gallery in London. It is his only signed work and has an unusual iconography for a painting of the Nativity.The Greek inscription at the top translates as: 'This picture, at the end of the year 1500, in the troubles of Italy, I, Alessandro, in the half-time after the time, painted, according to the eleventh [chapter] of Saint John, in the second woe of the Apocalypse, during the release of the devil for three and a half years; then he shall be bound in the twelfth [chapter] and we shall see [him buried] as in this picture'. Botticelli believed himself to be living during the Great Tribulation, possibly due to the upheavals in Europe at the time, and was predicting Christ's millennium as stated in the Book of Revelation.The painting is connected with the influence of Girolamo Savonarola, whose influence appears in a number of late paintings by Botticelli, though the contents of the image may have been specified by the person commissioning it. The painting uses the medieval convention of showing the Virgin Mary and infant Jesus larger both than other figures, and their surroundings; this was certainly done deliberately for effect, as earlier works by Botticelli use correct graphical perspective.It is not to be confused with the Mystical Nativity or Adoration in the Forest by Filippo Lippi, now in Berlin.

The Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece

"All those little toes that are climbing down the stairs – you can see the fascination with the patterns of the toes that are circling in the angels of the ''Mystical Nativity'' ... The ''Mystical Nativity'' worked a particular magic on members of the [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Portrait of a Lady known as Esmeralda Brandini

File:Edward Burne-Jones The Golden Stairs.jpg

Savonarola's preaching attracted huge crowds to [[Florence Cathedral

Category:Paintings by Sandro Botticelli in the National Gallery, London

Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857


The Mystical Nativity

Prompt: In The Mystical Nativity, how is the abstract discussed?

The Mystical Nativity is a painting in oil on canvas executed c. 1500–1501 by the Italian Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli, in the National Gallery in London. It is his only signed work and has an unusual iconography for a painting of the Nativity.The Greek inscription at the top translates as: 'This picture, at the end of the year 1500, in the troubles of Italy, I, Alessandro, in the half-time after the time, painted, according to the eleventh [chapter] of Saint John, in the second woe of the Apocalypse, during the release of the devil for three and a half years; then he shall be bound in the twelfth [chapter] and we shall see [him buried] as in this picture'. Botticelli believed himself to be living during the Great Tribulation, possibly due to the upheavals in Europe at the time, and was predicting Christ's millennium as stated in the Book of Revelation.The painting is connected with the influence of Girolamo Savonarola, whose influence appears in a number of late paintings by Botticelli, though the contents of the image may have been specified by the person commissioning it. The painting uses the medieval convention of showing the Virgin Mary and infant Jesus larger both than other figures, and their surroundings; this was certainly done deliberately for effect, as earlier works by Botticelli use correct graphical perspective.It is not to be confused with the Mystical Nativity or Adoration in the Forest by Filippo Lippi, now in Berlin.

The Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece

"All those little toes that are climbing down the stairs – you can see the fascination with the patterns of the toes that are circling in the angels of the ''Mystical Nativity'' ... The ''Mystical Nativity'' worked a particular magic on members of the [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Portrait of a Lady known as Esmeralda Brandini

File:Edward Burne-Jones The Golden Stairs.jpg

Savonarola's preaching attracted huge crowds to [[Florence Cathedral

Category:Paintings by Sandro Botticelli in the National Gallery, London

Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857


The Mystical Nativity

Prompt: Focus on The Mystical Nativity and explain the Description.

The Virgin Mary is shown kneeling before the Christ Child in the centre, both are on a larger scale than the other figures. Joseph sits on the ground next to the child, perhaps asleep, with his face not visible. Behind the family are a ox and an ass. On either side of the main group an angel with an olive branch in their outstretched hand shows the child to two shepherds and three men in long gowns, perhaps the biblical Magi. These five are kneeling and crowned with olive branches. At the bottom of the work, three angels embrace three men also with olive on their head. Around them  seven small devils are piercing themselves with lances and falling back into the underworld, "burying themselves".

The Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece

"All those little toes that are climbing down the stairs – you can see the fascination with the patterns of the toes that are circling in the angels of the ''Mystical Nativity'' ... The ''Mystical Nativity'' worked a particular magic on members of the [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Portrait of a Lady known as Esmeralda Brandini

File:Edward Burne-Jones The Golden Stairs.jpg

Savonarola's preaching attracted huge crowds to [[Florence Cathedral

Category:Paintings by Sandro Botticelli in the National Gallery, London

Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857


The Mystical Nativity

Prompt: Explain the Description of this artwork, The Mystical Nativity.

The Virgin Mary is shown kneeling before the Christ Child in the centre, both are on a larger scale than the other figures. Joseph sits on the ground next to the child, perhaps asleep, with his face not visible. Behind the family are a ox and an ass. On either side of the main group an angel with an olive branch in their outstretched hand shows the child to two shepherds and three men in long gowns, perhaps the biblical Magi. These five are kneeling and crowned with olive branches. At the bottom of the work, three angels embrace three men also with olive on their head. Around them  seven small devils are piercing themselves with lances and falling back into the underworld, "burying themselves".

The Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece

"All those little toes that are climbing down the stairs – you can see the fascination with the patterns of the toes that are circling in the angels of the ''Mystical Nativity'' ... The ''Mystical Nativity'' worked a particular magic on members of the [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Portrait of a Lady known as Esmeralda Brandini

File:Edward Burne-Jones The Golden Stairs.jpg

Savonarola's preaching attracted huge crowds to [[Florence Cathedral

Category:Paintings by Sandro Botticelli in the National Gallery, London

Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857


The Mystical Nativity

Prompt: How does The Mystical Nativity explain its Description?

The Virgin Mary is shown kneeling before the Christ Child in the centre, both are on a larger scale than the other figures. Joseph sits on the ground next to the child, perhaps asleep, with his face not visible. Behind the family are a ox and an ass. On either side of the main group an angel with an olive branch in their outstretched hand shows the child to two shepherds and three men in long gowns, perhaps the biblical Magi. These five are kneeling and crowned with olive branches. At the bottom of the work, three angels embrace three men also with olive on their head. Around them  seven small devils are piercing themselves with lances and falling back into the underworld, "burying themselves".

The Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece

"All those little toes that are climbing down the stairs – you can see the fascination with the patterns of the toes that are circling in the angels of the ''Mystical Nativity'' ... The ''Mystical Nativity'' worked a particular magic on members of the [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Portrait of a Lady known as Esmeralda Brandini

File:Edward Burne-Jones The Golden Stairs.jpg

Savonarola's preaching attracted huge crowds to [[Florence Cathedral

Category:Paintings by Sandro Botticelli in the National Gallery, London

Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857


The Mystical Nativity

Prompt: In The Mystical Nativity, how is the Description discussed?

The Virgin Mary is shown kneeling before the Christ Child in the centre, both are on a larger scale than the other figures. Joseph sits on the ground next to the child, perhaps asleep, with his face not visible. Behind the family are a ox and an ass. On either side of the main group an angel with an olive branch in their outstretched hand shows the child to two shepherds and three men in long gowns, perhaps the biblical Magi. These five are kneeling and crowned with olive branches. At the bottom of the work, three angels embrace three men also with olive on their head. Around them  seven small devils are piercing themselves with lances and falling back into the underworld, "burying themselves".

The Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece

"All those little toes that are climbing down the stairs – you can see the fascination with the patterns of the toes that are circling in the angels of the ''Mystical Nativity'' ... The ''Mystical Nativity'' worked a particular magic on members of the [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Portrait of a Lady known as Esmeralda Brandini

File:Edward Burne-Jones The Golden Stairs.jpg

Savonarola's preaching attracted huge crowds to [[Florence Cathedral

Category:Paintings by Sandro Botticelli in the National Gallery, London

Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857


The Mystical Nativity

Prompt: Focus on The Mystical Nativity and explain the Historical context.

The Mystical Nativity depicts a scene of joy and celebration, of earthly and heavenly delight, with angels dancing at the top of the painting. At the top of the painting stands Sandro Botticelli's name – but also the apocalyptic and troubling words. And there are dark premonitions – the helpless child rests on a sheet that evokes the shroud in which his body will one day be wrapped, while the cave in which the scene is set calls to mind his tomb. The Kings on the left bear no gifts, but their own devotion. At the top of the painting twelve angels dressed in the colours of faith, hope and charity dance in a circle holding olive branches, and above them heaven opens in a great golden dome, while at the bottom of the painting three angels embrace three men, seeming to raise them up from the ground. They hold scrolls which proclaim in Latin, "peace on earth to men of goodwill". Behind them seven devils flee to the underworld, some impaled on their own weapons. In Renaissance times Last Judgment paintings showed viewers the reckoning of the damned and the saved at the time of Christ's Second Coming. According to art historian Jonathan Nelson, "in echoing this kind of painting the Mystical Nativity is asking us to think not only of Christ's birth but of his return".The painting emerged from the city of Florence in a time when the fanatical preacher Girolamo Savonarola held the city in its grip. He had arrived in Florence in 1490 but had been repelled by the artistic glory and enormous wealth that so impressed the world. He preached that this was a corrupt and vice-ridden place. A great scourge was approaching – and then his words had assumed a terrifying reality: the Italian War of 1494–1498. In 1494 a huge French army invaded Italy and 10,000 troops entered Florence so that the Florentines feared the King of France meant to sack the city. Savonarola stepped into the political vacuum, he met with the French king and persuaded him to leave Florence peacefully. In their gratitude and relief the Florentines increasingly saw the friar as a prophet and his preaching attracted huge crowds to Florence Cathedral. Savonarola claimed that Florence could become the new Jerusalem if the citizens would repent and abandon their sinful luxuries – and that included much of their art. His beliefs were made real as groups of evangelical youths went on to the streets to encourage people to part with their luxuries, their lewd pictures, and books, their vanities, combs, mirrors. Botticelli may well have seen his own paintings fed to the flames. Yet the artist might not have objected because, like much of the city, he too had come under the sway of Savonarola. It seems that a sermon preached by Savonarola bears directly upon the Mystical Nativity.In one sermon Savonarola preached he set forth a vision that had come to him in which he saw an extraordinary heavenly crown. At its base were twelve hearts with twelve ribbons wrapped around them and written on these in Latin were the unique mystical qualities or privileges of the Virgin Mary – she is 'mother of her father', 'daughter of her son', 'bride of God' etc. Though much of the writing on the ribbons held by the dancing angels is now invisible to the naked eye, infrared reflectography has shown that the original words on the angels ribbons correspond exactly to Savonarola's 12 privileges of the Virgin. In his sermon, preached on Assumption Day, Savonarola went on to explore the 11th and 12th chapters of the Book of Revelation – the precise chapters mentioned in the painting's inscription. He connected the glory of Mary with the imminent coming of the power of Christ on earth.For years Savonarola held Florence in his hand but his hard line charismatic rule made him powerful political enemies. He was challenged to prove his holiness by walking through fire and when he refused the tide of opinion turned against him. He was arrested, and under torture confessed to being a false prophet. On 23 May 1498 he was hanged with two of his leading lieutenants, their bodies burnt and their ashes scattered in the river Arno. Some see the figures of the three men at the bottom of the painting as representatives of the three executed holy men, raised up and restored to grace – but persecution not peace awaited Savonarola's followers and it was in an atmosphere of oppression that Botticelli set out to create the Mystical Nativity.

The Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece

"All those little toes that are climbing down the stairs – you can see the fascination with the patterns of the toes that are circling in the angels of the ''Mystical Nativity'' ... The ''Mystical Nativity'' worked a particular magic on members of the [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Portrait of a Lady known as Esmeralda Brandini

File:Edward Burne-Jones The Golden Stairs.jpg

Savonarola's preaching attracted huge crowds to [[Florence Cathedral

Category:Paintings by Sandro Botticelli in the National Gallery, London

Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857


The Mystical Nativity

Prompt: Explain the Historical context of this artwork, The Mystical Nativity.

The Mystical Nativity depicts a scene of joy and celebration, of earthly and heavenly delight, with angels dancing at the top of the painting. At the top of the painting stands Sandro Botticelli's name – but also the apocalyptic and troubling words. And there are dark premonitions – the helpless child rests on a sheet that evokes the shroud in which his body will one day be wrapped, while the cave in which the scene is set calls to mind his tomb. The Kings on the left bear no gifts, but their own devotion. At the top of the painting twelve angels dressed in the colours of faith, hope and charity dance in a circle holding olive branches, and above them heaven opens in a great golden dome, while at the bottom of the painting three angels embrace three men, seeming to raise them up from the ground. They hold scrolls which proclaim in Latin, "peace on earth to men of goodwill". Behind them seven devils flee to the underworld, some impaled on their own weapons. In Renaissance times Last Judgment paintings showed viewers the reckoning of the damned and the saved at the time of Christ's Second Coming. According to art historian Jonathan Nelson, "in echoing this kind of painting the Mystical Nativity is asking us to think not only of Christ's birth but of his return".The painting emerged from the city of Florence in a time when the fanatical preacher Girolamo Savonarola held the city in its grip. He had arrived in Florence in 1490 but had been repelled by the artistic glory and enormous wealth that so impressed the world. He preached that this was a corrupt and vice-ridden place. A great scourge was approaching – and then his words had assumed a terrifying reality: the Italian War of 1494–1498. In 1494 a huge French army invaded Italy and 10,000 troops entered Florence so that the Florentines feared the King of France meant to sack the city. Savonarola stepped into the political vacuum, he met with the French king and persuaded him to leave Florence peacefully. In their gratitude and relief the Florentines increasingly saw the friar as a prophet and his preaching attracted huge crowds to Florence Cathedral. Savonarola claimed that Florence could become the new Jerusalem if the citizens would repent and abandon their sinful luxuries – and that included much of their art. His beliefs were made real as groups of evangelical youths went on to the streets to encourage people to part with their luxuries, their lewd pictures, and books, their vanities, combs, mirrors. Botticelli may well have seen his own paintings fed to the flames. Yet the artist might not have objected because, like much of the city, he too had come under the sway of Savonarola. It seems that a sermon preached by Savonarola bears directly upon the Mystical Nativity.In one sermon Savonarola preached he set forth a vision that had come to him in which he saw an extraordinary heavenly crown. At its base were twelve hearts with twelve ribbons wrapped around them and written on these in Latin were the unique mystical qualities or privileges of the Virgin Mary – she is 'mother of her father', 'daughter of her son', 'bride of God' etc. Though much of the writing on the ribbons held by the dancing angels is now invisible to the naked eye, infrared reflectography has shown that the original words on the angels ribbons correspond exactly to Savonarola's 12 privileges of the Virgin. In his sermon, preached on Assumption Day, Savonarola went on to explore the 11th and 12th chapters of the Book of Revelation – the precise chapters mentioned in the painting's inscription. He connected the glory of Mary with the imminent coming of the power of Christ on earth.For years Savonarola held Florence in his hand but his hard line charismatic rule made him powerful political enemies. He was challenged to prove his holiness by walking through fire and when he refused the tide of opinion turned against him. He was arrested, and under torture confessed to being a false prophet. On 23 May 1498 he was hanged with two of his leading lieutenants, their bodies burnt and their ashes scattered in the river Arno. Some see the figures of the three men at the bottom of the painting as representatives of the three executed holy men, raised up and restored to grace – but persecution not peace awaited Savonarola's followers and it was in an atmosphere of oppression that Botticelli set out to create the Mystical Nativity.

The Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece

"All those little toes that are climbing down the stairs – you can see the fascination with the patterns of the toes that are circling in the angels of the ''Mystical Nativity'' ... The ''Mystical Nativity'' worked a particular magic on members of the [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Portrait of a Lady known as Esmeralda Brandini

File:Edward Burne-Jones The Golden Stairs.jpg

Savonarola's preaching attracted huge crowds to [[Florence Cathedral

Category:Paintings by Sandro Botticelli in the National Gallery, London

Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857


The Mystical Nativity

Prompt: How does The Mystical Nativity explain its Historical context?

The Mystical Nativity depicts a scene of joy and celebration, of earthly and heavenly delight, with angels dancing at the top of the painting. At the top of the painting stands Sandro Botticelli's name – but also the apocalyptic and troubling words. And there are dark premonitions – the helpless child rests on a sheet that evokes the shroud in which his body will one day be wrapped, while the cave in which the scene is set calls to mind his tomb. The Kings on the left bear no gifts, but their own devotion. At the top of the painting twelve angels dressed in the colours of faith, hope and charity dance in a circle holding olive branches, and above them heaven opens in a great golden dome, while at the bottom of the painting three angels embrace three men, seeming to raise them up from the ground. They hold scrolls which proclaim in Latin, "peace on earth to men of goodwill". Behind them seven devils flee to the underworld, some impaled on their own weapons. In Renaissance times Last Judgment paintings showed viewers the reckoning of the damned and the saved at the time of Christ's Second Coming. According to art historian Jonathan Nelson, "in echoing this kind of painting the Mystical Nativity is asking us to think not only of Christ's birth but of his return".The painting emerged from the city of Florence in a time when the fanatical preacher Girolamo Savonarola held the city in its grip. He had arrived in Florence in 1490 but had been repelled by the artistic glory and enormous wealth that so impressed the world. He preached that this was a corrupt and vice-ridden place. A great scourge was approaching – and then his words had assumed a terrifying reality: the Italian War of 1494–1498. In 1494 a huge French army invaded Italy and 10,000 troops entered Florence so that the Florentines feared the King of France meant to sack the city. Savonarola stepped into the political vacuum, he met with the French king and persuaded him to leave Florence peacefully. In their gratitude and relief the Florentines increasingly saw the friar as a prophet and his preaching attracted huge crowds to Florence Cathedral. Savonarola claimed that Florence could become the new Jerusalem if the citizens would repent and abandon their sinful luxuries – and that included much of their art. His beliefs were made real as groups of evangelical youths went on to the streets to encourage people to part with their luxuries, their lewd pictures, and books, their vanities, combs, mirrors. Botticelli may well have seen his own paintings fed to the flames. Yet the artist might not have objected because, like much of the city, he too had come under the sway of Savonarola. It seems that a sermon preached by Savonarola bears directly upon the Mystical Nativity.In one sermon Savonarola preached he set forth a vision that had come to him in which he saw an extraordinary heavenly crown. At its base were twelve hearts with twelve ribbons wrapped around them and written on these in Latin were the unique mystical qualities or privileges of the Virgin Mary – she is 'mother of her father', 'daughter of her son', 'bride of God' etc. Though much of the writing on the ribbons held by the dancing angels is now invisible to the naked eye, infrared reflectography has shown that the original words on the angels ribbons correspond exactly to Savonarola's 12 privileges of the Virgin. In his sermon, preached on Assumption Day, Savonarola went on to explore the 11th and 12th chapters of the Book of Revelation – the precise chapters mentioned in the painting's inscription. He connected the glory of Mary with the imminent coming of the power of Christ on earth.For years Savonarola held Florence in his hand but his hard line charismatic rule made him powerful political enemies. He was challenged to prove his holiness by walking through fire and when he refused the tide of opinion turned against him. He was arrested, and under torture confessed to being a false prophet. On 23 May 1498 he was hanged with two of his leading lieutenants, their bodies burnt and their ashes scattered in the river Arno. Some see the figures of the three men at the bottom of the painting as representatives of the three executed holy men, raised up and restored to grace – but persecution not peace awaited Savonarola's followers and it was in an atmosphere of oppression that Botticelli set out to create the Mystical Nativity.

The Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece

"All those little toes that are climbing down the stairs – you can see the fascination with the patterns of the toes that are circling in the angels of the ''Mystical Nativity'' ... The ''Mystical Nativity'' worked a particular magic on members of the [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Portrait of a Lady known as Esmeralda Brandini

File:Edward Burne-Jones The Golden Stairs.jpg

Savonarola's preaching attracted huge crowds to [[Florence Cathedral

Category:Paintings by Sandro Botticelli in the National Gallery, London

Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857


The Mystical Nativity

Prompt: In The Mystical Nativity, how is the Historical context discussed?

The Mystical Nativity depicts a scene of joy and celebration, of earthly and heavenly delight, with angels dancing at the top of the painting. At the top of the painting stands Sandro Botticelli's name – but also the apocalyptic and troubling words. And there are dark premonitions – the helpless child rests on a sheet that evokes the shroud in which his body will one day be wrapped, while the cave in which the scene is set calls to mind his tomb. The Kings on the left bear no gifts, but their own devotion. At the top of the painting twelve angels dressed in the colours of faith, hope and charity dance in a circle holding olive branches, and above them heaven opens in a great golden dome, while at the bottom of the painting three angels embrace three men, seeming to raise them up from the ground. They hold scrolls which proclaim in Latin, "peace on earth to men of goodwill". Behind them seven devils flee to the underworld, some impaled on their own weapons. In Renaissance times Last Judgment paintings showed viewers the reckoning of the damned and the saved at the time of Christ's Second Coming. According to art historian Jonathan Nelson, "in echoing this kind of painting the Mystical Nativity is asking us to think not only of Christ's birth but of his return".The painting emerged from the city of Florence in a time when the fanatical preacher Girolamo Savonarola held the city in its grip. He had arrived in Florence in 1490 but had been repelled by the artistic glory and enormous wealth that so impressed the world. He preached that this was a corrupt and vice-ridden place. A great scourge was approaching – and then his words had assumed a terrifying reality: the Italian War of 1494–1498. In 1494 a huge French army invaded Italy and 10,000 troops entered Florence so that the Florentines feared the King of France meant to sack the city. Savonarola stepped into the political vacuum, he met with the French king and persuaded him to leave Florence peacefully. In their gratitude and relief the Florentines increasingly saw the friar as a prophet and his preaching attracted huge crowds to Florence Cathedral. Savonarola claimed that Florence could become the new Jerusalem if the citizens would repent and abandon their sinful luxuries – and that included much of their art. His beliefs were made real as groups of evangelical youths went on to the streets to encourage people to part with their luxuries, their lewd pictures, and books, their vanities, combs, mirrors. Botticelli may well have seen his own paintings fed to the flames. Yet the artist might not have objected because, like much of the city, he too had come under the sway of Savonarola. It seems that a sermon preached by Savonarola bears directly upon the Mystical Nativity.In one sermon Savonarola preached he set forth a vision that had come to him in which he saw an extraordinary heavenly crown. At its base were twelve hearts with twelve ribbons wrapped around them and written on these in Latin were the unique mystical qualities or privileges of the Virgin Mary – she is 'mother of her father', 'daughter of her son', 'bride of God' etc. Though much of the writing on the ribbons held by the dancing angels is now invisible to the naked eye, infrared reflectography has shown that the original words on the angels ribbons correspond exactly to Savonarola's 12 privileges of the Virgin. In his sermon, preached on Assumption Day, Savonarola went on to explore the 11th and 12th chapters of the Book of Revelation – the precise chapters mentioned in the painting's inscription. He connected the glory of Mary with the imminent coming of the power of Christ on earth.For years Savonarola held Florence in his hand but his hard line charismatic rule made him powerful political enemies. He was challenged to prove his holiness by walking through fire and when he refused the tide of opinion turned against him. He was arrested, and under torture confessed to being a false prophet. On 23 May 1498 he was hanged with two of his leading lieutenants, their bodies burnt and their ashes scattered in the river Arno. Some see the figures of the three men at the bottom of the painting as representatives of the three executed holy men, raised up and restored to grace – but persecution not peace awaited Savonarola's followers and it was in an atmosphere of oppression that Botticelli set out to create the Mystical Nativity.

The Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece

"All those little toes that are climbing down the stairs – you can see the fascination with the patterns of the toes that are circling in the angels of the ''Mystical Nativity'' ... The ''Mystical Nativity'' worked a particular magic on members of the [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Portrait of a Lady known as Esmeralda Brandini

File:Edward Burne-Jones The Golden Stairs.jpg

Savonarola's preaching attracted huge crowds to [[Florence Cathedral

Category:Paintings by Sandro Botticelli in the National Gallery, London

Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857


The Mystical Nativity

Prompt: Focus on The Mystical Nativity and explain the Technique.

The painting is on canvas – normally he would have used wood panel – perhaps for a painting with a dangerous message, canvas had the advantage that it could be rolled up and hidden. With his canvas prepared he would sketch a detailed design on paper, then he transferred this to canvas. He drew on many sources – the dancing angels echo his own three graces of Primavera, the scurrying devil was inspired by a German woodcut. X-rays show that very little of the original design changed – only an angel's wing was adjusted and trees added over the roof of the stable. Botticelli was now ready to build up the image using tempera paint – the canvas was an experimental medium. To create the heavenly dome Botticelli called on the goldsmith's craft he had learned as a boy. "The symbolism of the gold is to do with the unchanging, untarnished nature of heaven – gold doesn't decay, it doesn't darken like silver. Botticelli would have used an adhesive layer made of oil mixed with resin – not burnished, the gold just patted down on to the surface, following the surface irregularities of the canvas – a glitter, intricate, it would have helped the jewel like quality of the painting – it would have drawn the eye upwards from the Nativity into Heaven. Faith, hope and charity, [the angels clothed in] white, green and red – but the copper based green pigment has discoloured with time, to bronze. Originally it would have been vibrant."

The Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece

"All those little toes that are climbing down the stairs – you can see the fascination with the patterns of the toes that are circling in the angels of the ''Mystical Nativity'' ... The ''Mystical Nativity'' worked a particular magic on members of the [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Portrait of a Lady known as Esmeralda Brandini

File:Edward Burne-Jones The Golden Stairs.jpg

Savonarola's preaching attracted huge crowds to [[Florence Cathedral

Category:Paintings by Sandro Botticelli in the National Gallery, London

Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857


The Mystical Nativity

Prompt: Explain the Technique of this artwork, The Mystical Nativity.

The painting is on canvas – normally he would have used wood panel – perhaps for a painting with a dangerous message, canvas had the advantage that it could be rolled up and hidden. With his canvas prepared he would sketch a detailed design on paper, then he transferred this to canvas. He drew on many sources – the dancing angels echo his own three graces of Primavera, the scurrying devil was inspired by a German woodcut. X-rays show that very little of the original design changed – only an angel's wing was adjusted and trees added over the roof of the stable. Botticelli was now ready to build up the image using tempera paint – the canvas was an experimental medium. To create the heavenly dome Botticelli called on the goldsmith's craft he had learned as a boy. "The symbolism of the gold is to do with the unchanging, untarnished nature of heaven – gold doesn't decay, it doesn't darken like silver. Botticelli would have used an adhesive layer made of oil mixed with resin – not burnished, the gold just patted down on to the surface, following the surface irregularities of the canvas – a glitter, intricate, it would have helped the jewel like quality of the painting – it would have drawn the eye upwards from the Nativity into Heaven. Faith, hope and charity, [the angels clothed in] white, green and red – but the copper based green pigment has discoloured with time, to bronze. Originally it would have been vibrant."

The Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece

"All those little toes that are climbing down the stairs – you can see the fascination with the patterns of the toes that are circling in the angels of the ''Mystical Nativity'' ... The ''Mystical Nativity'' worked a particular magic on members of the [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Portrait of a Lady known as Esmeralda Brandini

File:Edward Burne-Jones The Golden Stairs.jpg

Savonarola's preaching attracted huge crowds to [[Florence Cathedral

Category:Paintings by Sandro Botticelli in the National Gallery, London

Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857


The Mystical Nativity

Prompt: How does The Mystical Nativity explain its Technique?

The painting is on canvas – normally he would have used wood panel – perhaps for a painting with a dangerous message, canvas had the advantage that it could be rolled up and hidden. With his canvas prepared he would sketch a detailed design on paper, then he transferred this to canvas. He drew on many sources – the dancing angels echo his own three graces of Primavera, the scurrying devil was inspired by a German woodcut. X-rays show that very little of the original design changed – only an angel's wing was adjusted and trees added over the roof of the stable. Botticelli was now ready to build up the image using tempera paint – the canvas was an experimental medium. To create the heavenly dome Botticelli called on the goldsmith's craft he had learned as a boy. "The symbolism of the gold is to do with the unchanging, untarnished nature of heaven – gold doesn't decay, it doesn't darken like silver. Botticelli would have used an adhesive layer made of oil mixed with resin – not burnished, the gold just patted down on to the surface, following the surface irregularities of the canvas – a glitter, intricate, it would have helped the jewel like quality of the painting – it would have drawn the eye upwards from the Nativity into Heaven. Faith, hope and charity, [the angels clothed in] white, green and red – but the copper based green pigment has discoloured with time, to bronze. Originally it would have been vibrant."

The Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece

"All those little toes that are climbing down the stairs – you can see the fascination with the patterns of the toes that are circling in the angels of the ''Mystical Nativity'' ... The ''Mystical Nativity'' worked a particular magic on members of the [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Portrait of a Lady known as Esmeralda Brandini

File:Edward Burne-Jones The Golden Stairs.jpg

Savonarola's preaching attracted huge crowds to [[Florence Cathedral

Category:Paintings by Sandro Botticelli in the National Gallery, London

Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857


The Mystical Nativity

Prompt: In The Mystical Nativity, how is the Technique discussed?

The painting is on canvas – normally he would have used wood panel – perhaps for a painting with a dangerous message, canvas had the advantage that it could be rolled up and hidden. With his canvas prepared he would sketch a detailed design on paper, then he transferred this to canvas. He drew on many sources – the dancing angels echo his own three graces of Primavera, the scurrying devil was inspired by a German woodcut. X-rays show that very little of the original design changed – only an angel's wing was adjusted and trees added over the roof of the stable. Botticelli was now ready to build up the image using tempera paint – the canvas was an experimental medium. To create the heavenly dome Botticelli called on the goldsmith's craft he had learned as a boy. "The symbolism of the gold is to do with the unchanging, untarnished nature of heaven – gold doesn't decay, it doesn't darken like silver. Botticelli would have used an adhesive layer made of oil mixed with resin – not burnished, the gold just patted down on to the surface, following the surface irregularities of the canvas – a glitter, intricate, it would have helped the jewel like quality of the painting – it would have drawn the eye upwards from the Nativity into Heaven. Faith, hope and charity, [the angels clothed in] white, green and red – but the copper based green pigment has discoloured with time, to bronze. Originally it would have been vibrant."

The Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece

"All those little toes that are climbing down the stairs – you can see the fascination with the patterns of the toes that are circling in the angels of the ''Mystical Nativity'' ... The ''Mystical Nativity'' worked a particular magic on members of the [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Portrait of a Lady known as Esmeralda Brandini

File:Edward Burne-Jones The Golden Stairs.jpg

Savonarola's preaching attracted huge crowds to [[Florence Cathedral

Category:Paintings by Sandro Botticelli in the National Gallery, London

Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857


The Mystical Nativity

Prompt: Focus on The Mystical Nativity and explain the Later history.

Botticelli died in 1510. The Mystical Nativity remained little known for another three centuries. Rome at the end of the 18th century was very different to Renaissance Florence – except for the presence of French invaders. Many foreigners left, but not a young Englishman, William Young Ottley. He was an art lover, and wealthy with a slave plantation in the Caribbean. He bought up many paintings cheaply. At the Villa Aldobrandini he saw a small, unknown work, Botticelli's Mystical Nativity. Botticelli was then in obscurity.It arrived in London where Ottley's house became in effect a private museum of Italian masterpieces. After Ottley's death William Fuller Maitland of Stansted picked up the painting at an auction for £80. When he loaned it to the Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857, it was probably exposed to a wide public for the first time. The exhibition's newspaper the Art Treasures Examiner printed a reproduction of it.From the moment Botticelli's art is shown in Manchester there's a real change in opinion about his work and certainly by the late 1870s, 1880s Botticelli becomes a real cult figure – somebody the artists who aspire to be on the cutting edge of the art world are looking to...Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Edward Burne-Jones both adapted elements of it for their own work. Burne-Jones copied some of Botticelli's illustrations for Dante's Divine Comedy into his own sketchbooks. Rossetti demonstrated his affection for Botticelli's work by buying his portrait of Smeralda Bandinelli in 1867.John Ruskin helped to give the painting its name; after seeing it in London he referred to Botticelli's 'mystic symbolism'. When Maitland died in 1876 the National Gallery in London stepped in. According to Nicholas Penny the Gallery "was concerned to buy works from the earlier Renaissance – previously it had been its top priority to buy masterpieces which there would be no controversy about at all. There was an element of avant-garde excitement about buying pictures like this in the 19th century." When the Gallery bought the painting in 1878, it had to find £1,500, nearly 20 times what it had fetched just thirty years earlier.

The Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece

"All those little toes that are climbing down the stairs – you can see the fascination with the patterns of the toes that are circling in the angels of the ''Mystical Nativity'' ... The ''Mystical Nativity'' worked a particular magic on members of the [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Portrait of a Lady known as Esmeralda Brandini

File:Edward Burne-Jones The Golden Stairs.jpg

Savonarola's preaching attracted huge crowds to [[Florence Cathedral

Category:Paintings by Sandro Botticelli in the National Gallery, London


The Mystical Nativity

Prompt: Explain the Later history of this artwork, The Mystical Nativity.

Botticelli died in 1510. The Mystical Nativity remained little known for another three centuries. Rome at the end of the 18th century was very different to Renaissance Florence – except for the presence of French invaders. Many foreigners left, but not a young Englishman, William Young Ottley. He was an art lover, and wealthy with a slave plantation in the Caribbean. He bought up many paintings cheaply. At the Villa Aldobrandini he saw a small, unknown work, Botticelli's Mystical Nativity. Botticelli was then in obscurity.It arrived in London where Ottley's house became in effect a private museum of Italian masterpieces. After Ottley's death William Fuller Maitland of Stansted picked up the painting at an auction for £80. When he loaned it to the Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857, it was probably exposed to a wide public for the first time. The exhibition's newspaper the Art Treasures Examiner printed a reproduction of it.From the moment Botticelli's art is shown in Manchester there's a real change in opinion about his work and certainly by the late 1870s, 1880s Botticelli becomes a real cult figure – somebody the artists who aspire to be on the cutting edge of the art world are looking to...Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Edward Burne-Jones both adapted elements of it for their own work. Burne-Jones copied some of Botticelli's illustrations for Dante's Divine Comedy into his own sketchbooks. Rossetti demonstrated his affection for Botticelli's work by buying his portrait of Smeralda Bandinelli in 1867.John Ruskin helped to give the painting its name; after seeing it in London he referred to Botticelli's 'mystic symbolism'. When Maitland died in 1876 the National Gallery in London stepped in. According to Nicholas Penny the Gallery "was concerned to buy works from the earlier Renaissance – previously it had been its top priority to buy masterpieces which there would be no controversy about at all. There was an element of avant-garde excitement about buying pictures like this in the 19th century." When the Gallery bought the painting in 1878, it had to find £1,500, nearly 20 times what it had fetched just thirty years earlier.

The Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece

"All those little toes that are climbing down the stairs – you can see the fascination with the patterns of the toes that are circling in the angels of the ''Mystical Nativity'' ... The ''Mystical Nativity'' worked a particular magic on members of the [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Portrait of a Lady known as Esmeralda Brandini

File:Edward Burne-Jones The Golden Stairs.jpg

Savonarola's preaching attracted huge crowds to [[Florence Cathedral

Category:Paintings by Sandro Botticelli in the National Gallery, London