The Primavera of Sandro Botticelli: A Neoplatonic InterpretationIn this interdisciplinary study, Sandro Botticelli's famous Renaissance masterpiece Primavera is analyzed iconographically to demonstrate the possibility that it represents a deliberate and considered attempt on the part of the artist to set forth in artistic terms a Neoplatonic quadripartite «programme» provided by Marsilio Ficino. Beneath the surface inspirations of myth, poetry and legend represented in terms of easily recognizable gods and goddesses, there appears to be an allegorical framework on which the artistic programme was built. This innovate research of the Primavera will make a contribution not only to the field of Italian Renaissance art history, but also to the fields of comparative literature, philosopy, history and religion. |
Contents
INTRODUCTION | 1 |
The Corpus Hermeticum | 13 |
Veiled Mysteries | 31 |
Copyright | |
7 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
allegorical anagogical ancient André Chastel Aphrodite artist Augustine beauty body Botticelli's Primavera celestial century B.C. Chloris Christ Christian Church classical Claudian Commentary concept contemplation Corpus Hermeticum Cosimo dance death Demeter depicted divine drama dromena Egyptian Eleusinian Mysteries Eleusis Eros father figure Flora Florence Florentine flowers goddess gods Greek Hades heaven Hermes Trismegistus Hermetic Homeric Hymn human Ibid immortality initiates interpretation Journey Last Judgment Letters of Marsilio level of meaning literary London Lorenzo Macrobius maiden manifestation Marsilio Ficino Medici medieval Mercury mind moral motif mystical myth mythology Neoplatonism pagan painting Paul Oskar Kristeller Pausanias Persephone Phaedrus philosophical Photo Pimander Plate Plato Plotinus poem portrayed Primavera Princeton programme Proserpine Psyche Quattrocento Rape of Persephone Raptu Proserpinae Renaissance representation reprint revealed sacred Sandro Botticelli Socrates soul spiritual symbolic theological Three Graces trans translation truth Uffizi Gallery ultimate University Press Venus Virgin vision vols Warburg writes York Zephyrus Zeus