| Our recent talk of "Pillage and Patronage" in the art world inspired me to explore the art, artists, and politics of the Renaissance more in depth. In my research and reading I learned that Sandro Botticelli, famous for his paintings Primavera and Birth of Venus, also illustrated Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. Botticelli promised his patron Lorenzo d'Medici a version of the Divine Comedy on sheepskin with a separate illustration for each canto. Up until this point, not artist had attempted this. 92 of his illustrations survive today, in various states of completion. For the longest time, I have found inspiration for my writing in art. Now, I wonder if the poetry and literature that I admire might not provide the same stimulus for my visual art. It is a path that I intend on taking in the near future, and I am curious to see where it leads. Sources: Botticelli's 92 Illustrations of Dante's Divine Comedy |   |
