Stylistically, Botticelli acquired from Lippi a repertory of types and compositions, a certain graceful fancifulness in costuming, a linear sense of form, and a partiality to certain paler hues that are still visible even after Botticelli had developed his own strong and resonant colour schemes.Īfter Lippi left Florence for Spoleto, Botticelli worked to improve the comparatively soft, frail figural style he had learned from his teacher. Lippi taught Botticelli the techniques of panel and fresco painting, and gave him an assured control of linear perspective.
Around 1464, Sandro became apprenticed to Fra Filippo Lippi and by 1469 he was working on his own.įilippo Lippi certainly had the earliest influence on the young Botticelli. Seeing that his son had finally become enflammed by a passion for art, Mariano decided that Botticelli should learn the art of painting. Thus, the famous painter would have taken the nickname of his brother, much less known and for other reasons. This specially translation contains an introduction and explanatory notes.Īnother version of the story goes that Sandro’s brother, Giovanni, was known as a drunkard and therefore called “Botticello” ( botte is the Italian word for barrel). He wrote that as a youth, since Sandro was always restless, his exasperated father sent him to a craftsman named “Botticello” in the hopes that he would become a goldsmith, hence Botticelli, the name by which he is commonly referred. His father’s description sheds light on the introspective nature of the boy, which possibly stemmed from his childhood illnesses and which left undelible tones of melancholy on many of his paintings.Īs is often the case with Renaissance artists, most of the modern information about Botticelli’s life and character derives from Lives by Giorgio Vasari. Mariano described Sandro, 13 years of age at this time, as “ studious and sickly”.
In an income tax return dating to 1458, Mariano stated that he had 4 sons: Giovanni, Antonio, Simone and Alessandro (nicknamed Sandro).
6 The most famous of Botticelli’s paintingsĪlessandro’s father, Mariano Filipepi, was a tanner and was aided in his trade by his proximity to the Arno.
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