significant, its essence expresses the thought of the master so clearly
that it has preserved all its charm for us, although its particular
meaning is not known to us. We call it _Spring_, but if one of the
figures in the picture really represents Spring, it is only an accessory
figure; and, moreover, this name given to the picture is entirety
modern. Vasari says that it represents _Venus surrounded by the Graces_,
but if we find the three Graces in the picture, it is not likely that
the principal figure represents Venus. In my opinion, it is that
principal figure that is the key to the picture; it is for this figure
that everything has been done, and this it is, above all, that we must
interrogate if we wish to know Botticelli's meaning. Evidently it is
neither Venus, nor Spring; and the precision of the features, and the
fidelity of the smallest details of the costume make us believe that we
are in the presence of a veritable portrait.... Around her, Nature
adorns herself with flowers; Spring and the Graces surround her like a
train of Fays. Here is one of the familiar poetical forms of the
Fifteenth Century; and, doubtless, by attentively reading the Florentine
poets, we should discover the meaning of all the allegorical figures
that Botticelli has united in his work and which we do not
understand.[31]
But whatever may be the particular meaning of each of these figures, it
is certain that here we have to do with love and beauty, and that
perhaps in no other work may we find the charm of woman described in
more passionate accents.
In this world of feminine fascination Botticelli loved everything. He
knows the attraction of the toilet and of jewels, but he knows above all
that no gem and no invention of man can rival the beauty of the female
form. He was the first to understand the exquisite charm of silhouettes,
the first to linger in expressing the joining of the arm and body, the
flexibility of the hips, the roundness of the shoulders, the elegance of
the leg, the little shadow that marks the springing of the neck, and,
above all, the exquisite carving of the hand. But, even more, he
understood "_le prestige insolent des grands yeux_,"--large eyes, full,
restless, and sad, because they are filled with love.
Look at these young maidens of Botticelli's. What a heavenly vision! Did
Alfred de Musset know these veiled forms that seem to float over the
meadow and did he think of them in the sleeplessness of his nights of
May? Did he think of that young girl whose arm rises supple as the stem
of a flower, of that young Grace so charming in the frame of her fair
hair confined by strings of pearls, or, indeed, of that _Primavera_, who
advances so imperiously beautiful, in her long robe of brocade,
scattering handfuls of flowers that she makes blossom, or of that young
mother more charming still in her modest grace, with her beautiful eyes
full of infinite tenderness.
And around this scene, what a beautiful frame of verdure and flowers!
Nature has donned her richest festal robes; the inanimate things, like
the human beings, all speak of love and happiness, and tell us that the
master of this world is that little child with bandaged eyes, who amuses
himself by shooting his arrows of fire.
To say a word about the technique of this work, we should remark that
Botticelli always painted in fresco or distemper, and that he did not
seek the supple modelling that painting in oil affords; and, on the
other hand, he submitted profoundly to the influence of Pollaiolo; he
observed Nature with the eyes of a goldsmith; and he painted his works
as if, working a niello or enamel, he had to set each figure in
gold-wire.
Finally, is it necessary to speak of the date of the _Primavera_? This
would occasion a long discussion if the space were accorded me. Let it
suffice to say that the biography written by Vasari merits no credence,
that it has been unfortunately accepted by the majority of historians,
and that we have not yet a good chronology of Botticelli's works, nor
even a simple catalogue. As for the chronology, most historians, relying
upon Vasari, place nearly all of Botticelli's works before his trip to
Rome in 1481. I think, on the contrary, and I will prove it elsewhere,
that the great productive period of Botticelli belongs to the ten last
years of the century and that the _Primavera_ should be classed in this
period. The _Primavera_ represents, with _The Birth of Venus_ and _The
Adoration of the Magi_, the culminating point of Botticelli's art.
Jouin, _Chefs-d'oeuvre; Peinture, Sculpture, Architecture_
(Paris, 1895-97).
FOOTNOTES:
[31] See notably the _Stanze_ of Politian, where one will find nearly
all the details of Botticelli's picture; the shady grove, the flowery
meadow, even the attitudes and the garments of the personages. Is it not
a figure of Botticelli's which is thus described:
"She is white and white is her robe,
All painted with flowers, roses, and blades of grass."
Transcriber's Notes:
{a} Possible typo for sinister?
{b} Van die Beroerlicke Tijden in die Nederlanden. Tijden appears in
text as Tij den. Other sources give Tyden as another spelling.
Most of the illustrations in this book have links to colored images on
other sites on the internet. If the links don't work, try the "Web
Gallery of Art" at http://www.wga.hu/ Then search for the artist or
painting of interest. Since this is not an html file, you may wish
to copy to link you are interested in, into your browser, where you
can view the related image.
BOTTICELLI The Birth of Venus _Florence_ 6
http://www.wga.hu/art/b/botticel/5allegor/30birth.jpg
VERONESE The Queen of Sheba _Turin_ 16
MICHAEL ANGELO The Last Judgment _Rome_ 18
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/m/michelan/3sistina/lastjudg/0lastjud.jpg
CORREGGIO Magdalen _Dresden_ 28
VAN DER HELST The Banquet of the Arquebusiers _Amsterdam_ 34
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/h/helst/celebrat.jpg
WATTEAU L'Embarquement pour l'Île
de Cythère _Paris_ 38
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/w/watteau/antoine/1/07cythe1.jpg
RAPHAEL The Sistine Madonna _Dresden_ 46
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/r/raphael/5roma/2/03sisti.jpg
CARPACCIO The Dream of St. Ursula _Venice_ 58
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/c/carpacci/1ursula/2/50dream.jpg
RUBENS The Descent from the Cross _Antwerp_ 62
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/r/rubens/11religi/07desce1.jpg
TITIAN Bacchus and Ariadne _London_ 72
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/t/tiziano/mytholo1/bacchus.jpg
FRA ANGELICO The Coronation of the Virgin _Paris_ 78
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/a/angelico/altar/angelic1.jpg
BOTTICELLI Judith _Florence_ 80
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/b/botticel/painting/judith.jpg
HOBBEMA The Avenue of Middelharnais _London_ 88
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/h/hobbema/alley.jpg
ANDREA DEL SARTO The Dance of the Daughter
of Herodias _Florence_ 94
FABRIANO The Adoration of the Magi _Florence_ 98
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/g/gentile/adormag.jpg
HOLBEIN Portrait of Georg Gisze _Berlin_ 102
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/h/holbein/hans_y/1535/2gisze.jpg
TINTORET Paradise _Venice_ 106
GUIDO RENI Aurora _Rome_ 114
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/r/reni/1/aurora.jpg
TITIAN The Assumption of the Virgin _Venice_ 120
REMBRANDT The Night Watch _Amsterdam_ 124
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/r/rembran/painting/group/night_wa.jpg
GOZZOLI The Rape of Helen _London_ 138
L. DA VINCI Monna Lisa _Paris_ 142
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/l/leonardo/04/1monali.jpg
VAN EYCK The Adoration of the Lamb _Ghent_ 154
http://www.wga.hu/art/e/eyck_van/jan/09ghent/1open3/l3adora.jpg
PIERO DI COSIMO The Death of Procris _London_ 168
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/p/piero/cosimo/allegory/procris.jpg
TINTORET The Marriage in Cana _Venice_ 172
http://www.wga.hu/art/t/tintoret/2religio/marriage.jpg
DE LA TOUR Portrait of Madame de Pompadour _Paris_ 178
CONSTABLE The Hay Wain _London_ 184
http://www.wga.hu/art/c/constabl/haywain.jpg
VELASQUEZ The Surrender of Breda _Madrid_ 192
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/v/velazque/1631-35/04breda.jpg
MURILLO The Immaculate Conception _Paris_ 196
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/m/murillo/1661-/immacula.jpg
GIOTTO St. Frances before the Soldan _Florence_ 202
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/g/giotto/s_croce/2bardi/scenes_2/franci6.jpg
ROSSETTI Lilith _Rockford, Del._ 212
http://www.victorianweb.org/painting/dgr/paintings/4.jpg
DÜRER The Adoration of the Magi _Florence_ 216
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/d/durer/1/04/2adorat.jpg
HOGARTH The Marriage A-la-Mode _London_ 218
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/h/hogarth/marriag1.jpg
L. DA VINCI The Madonna of the Rocks _Paris_ 234
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/l/leonardo/02/2virg_p.jpg
GUIDO RENI Portrait of Beatrice Cenci _Rome_ 240
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/s/sirani/b_cenci.jpg
RAPHAEL The Transfiguration _Rome_ 250
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/r/raphael/5roma/5/10trans.jpg
PAUL POTTER The Bull _The Hague_ 256
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/p/potter/y_bull.jpg
FRAGONARD Corésus and Callirhoé _Paris_ 262
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/f/fragonar/1/06coresu.jpg
GAINSBOROUGH The Market-Cart _London_ 268
TINTORET Bacchus and Ariadne _Venice_ 274
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/t/tintoret/4mytholo/ariadne.jpg
GREUZE La Cruche Cassée _Paris_ 280
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/g/greuze/broken_j.jpg
REYNOLDS Portrait of Lady Cockburn
and her Children _London_ 282
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/r/reynolds/cockburn.jpg
RAPHAEL St. Cecilia _Naples_ 288
http://www.abcgallery.com/R/raphael/raphael45.JPG
L. DA VINCI The Last Supper _Milan_ 290
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/l/leonardo/03/4lastsu2.jpg
VAN DYCK Portrait of the Children of
Charles I. _Turin_ 300
http://www.abcgallery.com/V/vandyck/vandyck28.JPG
TURNER The Fighting Téméraire _London_ 306
http://www.j-m-w-turner.co.uk/artist/gifetc/tameria.jpg
BOTTICELLI Spring _Florence_ 314
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/b/botticel/allegory/primaver.jpg