Graceful, ethereal, romantic, mysterious. The women of Sandro
Botticelli’s paintings from the Italian Renaissance continue to awe and inspire
art lovers and fashion designers. Centuries since women like Venus were
depicted on the 15th century canvases, the paintings’ power to
enthrall remains.
Botticelli became famous for his depictions of women, including the goddess of love, Venus. In The Birth of Venus painting, Venus arrives on the shoreline ready to be dressed in a luxurious fabric with a floral design.
Mythological women including Venus and The Three Graces were painted by Botticelli again in the last 1470s or early 1480s in Primavera. In this work, the characters were painted against the backdrop of a lush garden and orchard, which helps connect the painting to ideas of love,
fertility and the arrival of spring.
The famous Primavera painting was likely commissioned by
the Medici family during Renaissance. For several generations, the Medicis held seats of power
through business and politics in Italy. In addition to generating large sums of
money for their family, they also heavily invested in the arts and humanities.
By doing things like supporting artists that included Botticelli, the family
helped make Florence the heart of the Italian Renaissance.
Upper right: Portrait of Lucrezia de'Medici by Agnolo Bronzino, 1560, via WikiArt
Lower left: Portrait of a Young Woman (Simonetta Vespucci as Nymph) by Sandro Botticelli, 1480-85, via Wikipedia
The Alice + Olivia Fall 2017 collection clearly drew
inspiration from the Primavera painting with skirts depicting scenes from the
painting. Elements throughout the collection mirrored the spirit not only the Primavera painting, but Renaissance fashion as a whole. In the above designs, there are embroidered fabrics and rich hues that are reminiscent of fashion worn by Renaissance women, including Lucrezia de'Medici.
