IB Prized Writing Sevenoaks School IB Prized Writing 2014 | Page 90

Zoe Dawson - Visual Art   Sandro  Botticelli  was  born  in  the  Italian  town  of  Florence  in  1445,  as     Alessandro   Sandro   Botticelli   born   in  the  I H talian   of  F a lorence   in  1445,   di  M ariano  d w i  V as   anni   Filipepi.   aving   town   trained   s  a  goldsmith   in   a h s   is  early   Alessandro   i  Mariano   i  Vanni   o F f   ilipepi.   Having   a  goldsmith   in  h t is   arly   life,  he  was  t d aught   the  p d ractice   painting   by  Fra   trained   Filippo   a L s   ipi,   apprenticed   o  t e he   life,   he   was  taught   the  practice   f  p ainting   by  Fra  F to  the   artist   sometime   around   1462.  B o y   1470,   Botticelli   h ilippo   ad  his   L o ipi,   wn   a w pprenticed   orkshop,  and,   even  at   artist   sometime   around   1462.  B t y   otticelli   his   i o n   wn   w r orkshop,   and,   w e ith   ven  at   this  early   stage,  w as  beginning   o   1 p 470,   aint  f B igures   as   h if   ad   seen   low   elief,  drawn   this   early   stage,   a w as   r b eginning   to  paint   figures   o a f   s   light   if  seen   in   low  relief,   rawn   clear   contours,   nd   educing   strong   contrasts   and   shadow   that   d w ould   w h ith   ave   clear   contours,   and   reducing   strong   contrasts  o t f   hat   light   shadow   that   would   ave   shown   a  more  m odeled   figure,   a  characteristic   he   a l nd   ater   became   known   for   h [12] .  In   shown   ore  modeled   figure,   a  characteristic   that   he  later  became   known   for   [12] .  In   the   15 th a  c  m entury,   artists  w ere  creating   works  for   commissions.   Known   as  patronage,   the   5 th  c w entury,   artists   creating   orks   commissions.   nown   as  p g atronage,   an  a 1 rtist   ould  be   asked   w t ere   o  produce   a  p w iece   o f f   or   art   based  upon  t K he   criteria   iven  to   an   artist   ould   be  asked  to  produce   a   otticelli’s   piece  of  a m rt   any   based   upon  the  criteria   given   to   them   by  t w heir   commissioner.   One  of  B commissioners,   the  V espucci   them   by   their  commissioner.   One   f  B edici   otticelli’s   m t any   commissioners,   the  Vespucci   family,   introduced   Botticelli  to   the   o M family,   he  m ost  powerful  family   of  15 th   family,  introduced   Botticelli   to  the   Medici  family,   the  m s ost   powerful   family   of  15 th   .   The  Medici   commissioned   artists   uch   as  Donatello   and   century   Florence   [13] [13] .   The  Medici  commissioned  artists  such  as  Donatello  and   century   Florence   Leonardo   da  Vinci,  and,   while  Lorenzo  the  Magnificent  ruled,  Botticelli.  The  time  of   Leonardo   da   inci,   w and,   hile  L f orenzo   he  Magnificent   ruled,   a B nd   otticelli.   The   a t nd   ime   of   Lorenzo  de   M V edici   as  k w nown   or  its  m t ultitude   of  festivities   carnivals,   his   Lorenzo   w h as   known   for  its   c m ommissioner.   ultitude  of  festivities   and   that   carnivals,   and  his   interest  i d n   e   a M rt   edici   made   im   an  excellent   It  was  said   he  ‘understood’   interest   in   h a e   rt   e m ade  him   a a nd   n  e r xcellent   commissioner.   was   said   r t ules   hat  h e  ‘understood’   the  artists   mployed,   ather  than   giving  them   I t t   oo   strict   for   their   the   artists   h h e   e   e e ncouraged   mployed,  a t nd   rather   than   giving   them   strict   rules   for  their   paintings,   hem   to  excel   in   their  o wn  w too   ays.   It  was   suggested   that   paintings,   e  e h ncouraged   them   to   a e nd   xcel   their   L o orenzo   wn  ways.   t  w as  suggested  that   Botticelli  w h as   is  favourite   artist,   in   in   1485,   the   I M agnificent   Botticelli   was  h B is   otticelli   favourite   artist,   nd   B i irth   n  1485,   Lorenzo   [14]   the  Magnificent   commissioned   to  p aint  t a he   of  Venus.   [14]     commissioned  Botticelli  to  paint  the  Birth  of  Venus.     Aim  One:  To  Meet  the  Requirements  of  the  Medici     Aim   One:  To  Meet  the  Requirements  of  the  Medici           The  Birth  of  Venus   [Appendix  4]   by  Botticelli  was  painted  for  Lorenzo  de  Medici,   4]   by  Botticelli  was  painted  for  Lorenzo  de  Medici,     Lorenzo   The  B irth   f  Venus   [Appendix   or   the   M o agnificent.   It  is  assumed   that  Lorenzo  the  Magnificent   or   Lorenzo  the   t M agnificent.   t  i d s   ecorate   assumed   hat  Lorenzo   commissioned   he   painting  t I o   a  c t ountry   villa,  d the   ue   M to   agnificent   its  size  and  materials.   commissioned  the  painting  to  decorate  a  country  villa,  due  to  its  size  and  materials.       13   13   89