What did Botticelli focus on?

Answer 1

To understand Botticelli, you need to first understand that in the Renaissance, the subject matter of paintings wasn't truly the artists' decision to make. While the artists were able to include hidden messages, and put their own spin on things, the topics of the paintings were chosen by patrons (those who commissioned the work). Botticelli focused on religious themes during the beginning of his career, as that was what people wanted. But as the Renaissance began to focus more on the humanities (studies of Greek and Roman literature), patrons started wanting to reflect mythology in the artwork placed in their homes. As this shift began to occur, Botticelli began painting mythological stories. But keep in mind, this was because it was what he was paid to do. He did not choose to make this change. Later, when Savanarola (a radical monk) came into popularity, mythological works were condemned. There was really no point in spending time painting mythological paintings if Savanarola was inevitably going to burn them. So, Botticelli began to focus more on religion. But I must stress that throughout his career, he did not focus on just one topic. He focused on religion and mythology-two completely different topics. But in most studies of Botticelli, emphasis is put on his Mythological Works. These works can also be said to include religious themes(Neoplatonism is the school of thought that combines Humanism and religion to make them more compatible). So, if you really wanted to choose one theme that Botticelli focused on for his whole life, you could use religion, and emphasize that even though mythological works, However "the fact that he used false gods in his work did not mean he turned his back on his religion. Instead, he took mythological ideas and combined them with his faith. In a time of division between religious and humanistic values among patrons and religious leaders, Botticelli's works combined both themes in a style known as Neoplatonism, encompassing the overall idea of the Renaissance"(Bridget Mayo 1).

The above quote is from my research paper that I worked on for almost a year