Botticelli and His Portrayal of Women

A detailed Summary of Botticelli and His Portrayal of Women


Botticelli is one of the most famous artists during the Italian Renaissance. He was very well know for the portrayal of the female figure and his ability to incorporate femininity as a symbol of life itself and/or nature illustrated by the changes of seasons. Botticelli most famous figure was that of Venus, the goddess of love. She was incorporated into two of his most famous works, The Birth of Venus and Primavera.

Most of Botticelli's women had that typical hourglass figure to them . During the time period in which these works were created, women with the physical characteristics of Venus were considered to be the ideal feminine figure. These women were considered to be ideal because during this era, flesh was a symbol of health, wealth, and stability ("Sandro ...", 1).

Women of this built were obviously healthy because this showed that they ate well and were thus financially secure. Thin women on the other hand were viewed as being poor and thus underfed and unhealthy due to lack of funds and hard labor. Also, men viewed Venus (especially her wide hips) to be the perfect figure, because they saw that type of figure to be designed especially for the purposes of child bearing (Turner 151).


Botticelli represents the beauty of his women in another of his famous works. In "Primavera," he depicts the birth of a new beginning. Back in that time period, spring meant new life. Flowers bloomed and people survived harsh winters. Botticelli is brilliant in the way he depicts this rebirth.

Dempsey, Charles. The Portrayal of Love. New Jersey: Princeton UP, 1992.

The Great Masters: Botticelli. Genoa: Park Lane, 1994.



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Approximate Word count = 1000
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Arts

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