In this class, we started off finishing the material from the previous class by discussing Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus. The painting, however, actually depicts the aftermath of Venus’s birth. Commission by the Medici family, the painting contains several references to the family. The orange trees references the mela medica from the Medici coat of arms, and Venus’s pose resembles the pose of The Medici Venus. Additionally, the depiction of a woman in nude with no moral or erotic undertones, simply existing in her own perfection, displays the neoplatonic philosophy that was developing at the time.
We then moved on to the High Renaissance in Italy. We began this discussion by talking about Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo was focused on solving problems with his art and finding patterns or systems. We looked at three of his paintings, Madonna of the Rocks, The Last Supper, and The Mona Lisa. These painting demonstrate Leonardo’s ability to incorporate his subjects within the landscape of the painting. Additionally, his use of pyramidal symmetry is shown in these paintings.