La Primavera (1477-1482) by Sandro Botticelli
La Primavera is also known as the Allegory of Spring because it contains a lot of hidden
messages.
That's correct, but let's start by looking at who the people in this painting are.
The blue figure on the right is Zepha, the god of the west wind.
Zepha is chasing the nymph Chloris, who is associated with flowers and spring.
Zepha's breath turns Chloris into the goddess of spring, who is next to her wearing a flowered
dress.
The central figure in this painting is Venus, and to the left of her are the three dancing
graces.
The final person on the left is Mercury, the messenger of the Greek gods, who scatters
the clouds with his staff.
And on top is the son of Venus, Cupid, who is aiming one of his flaming arrows at one
of the three graces.
Well, it is nice to know who we have in front of us, but what does this all mean?
That's the million-dollar question.
This painting combines elements from various mythological stories, and interpretations
of its meaning have been all over the place.
Some interpret this painting as the trade-off between earthly and spiritual values.
Others just see the change of seasons.
The figure on the right represents February, and each figure to the left of him represents
the next month, ending with Mercury on the left, representing September.
While it may be a pity that we don't know Botticelli's intended meaning, it allows
each of us to see the painting in our own way, a bit like modern art.
And besides all the potential meanings, it is just amazing to look at all the different
flower varieties.
Which ones do you recognize?
Well, I certainly recognize the orange blossoms on the top.
They symbolize marriage.
Did you know that this painting contains quite a number of flowers that don't exist anymore?
So don't worry if you don't recognize all of the flowers.