Moyer Genially Assignment #2: Botticelli's Primavera

Source text: “Quickly, Cupid, hidden in those beautiful eyes, adjusts the notch of his arrow to his bowstring, then he draws back with his powerful arm so that the two ends of his bow meet; his left hand is touched by the point of fiery gold, his right breast by the string: the arrow does not begin to hiss through the air before Julio has felt it inside his heart” Analysis: Botticelli's adaptation of the Primavera adheres closely to this part of the source text. Cupid is depicted being blind folded “hidden in those beautiful eyes”, and aiming his bow “adjusts the notch of his arrow to his bowstring, then he draws back with his powerful arm so that the two ends of his bow meet”. This is an accurate portrayal of Cupid based on the source text. Botticelli's decision to include a portrayal of Cupid that correlates directly to the source text is likely based on his recognizability. Cupid is a very recognizable figure and symbol within religious and art history. Cupid’s inclusion and depiction also ties into Botticelli's secondary theme about love, which he supports with the addition of Venus.

Source text: “She is fair-skinned, unblemished white, and white is her garment, though ornamented with roses, flowers, and grass; the ringlets of her golden hair descend on a forehead humbly proud.” Analysis: The source texts’ description of Flora’s garments is accurately represented within Botticelli's piece. Flora’s floral-adorned white dress precisely correlates with the text. Her appearance matches as well, she is fair-skinned with curled blonde hair. Botticelli's choice to accurately represent Flora, as described in the source text, is possibly to make the piece easily identifiable within terms of the source text. As I’ll discuss in later points, Botticelli makes a lot of choices to deviate from the text, and having portrayed Flora, exactly as she is described in the source texts, allows Flora to be recognizable.

Source text: “She would resemble Thalia if she took lyre in hand, Minerva, if she held a spear; if she had a bow in hand and quiver at her side, you would swear she was chaste Diana. Anger, grieving, withdraws from before her countenance, Pride avails little in her presence; every sweet virtue is in her company, Beauty and Grace point her out.” Analysis: The original source texts hints at the female figure representing different goddesses (Thalia, Minerva, Diana), dependent on what object or weapon she holds. However, in Botticelli's adaptation, his representation of this chosen figure, Venus, goddess of love, does not hold a physical object. While this does contrast with the source text, which likens the female figure to multiple goddesses, depending on what she holds, Botticelli’s decision to depict Venus suggests a broader interpretation of divine femininity. His choice to centralize Venus in the composition and remove the specific objects mentioned in the source text (lyre, spear, bow, etc.), Botticelli leans into portraying his overarching theme of spring and renewal.

Source text: N/A Analysis: Within the source text, there are no mentions of the Three Graces who are seen dancing next to Venus, on the left side of the painting. Mercury, in the farthest left of the painting, is portrayed as directing dark clouds away, out of the painting. Neither the Three Graces or Mercury are mentioned within the source text. Botticelli's additions to the painting highlights his theme of springtime and renewal. Also, Botticelli's depiction of Mercury pushing away the clouds, which are being used to symbolize winter, only further supports Botticelli's deeply rooted theme. Botticelli purposely chose to include the figures to clearly represent and support his theme revolving around spring and renewal.

Source text: "I, called Flora now, was Chloris/It was spring, I wandered: Zephyrus saw me: I left. He followed me: I fled: he was the stronger" Analysis: Botticelli makes a very notable decision to include Chloris’s transformation into Flora through the pursuit of Zephyrus. Chloris and Zephyrus’s inclusion is purposefully curated to support Botticelli's theme. Botticelli’s main theme, spring and renewal, is mainly seen through this addition of Chloris’s transformation into Flora. The concept of Chloris’s transformation is deeply rooted within renewal and Flora, of course, is a representation of spring. This depiction is partially accurate to the source text. Chloris's transformation into Flora is somewhat glossed over and not deeply explored. Botticelli's addition goes beyond what is described in the source text. Botticelli's choice of having the two, Chloris and Flora, represented within the same painting, is a great way to depict spring's own renewal each year alongside the source texts' depicition of Chloris becoming Flora because of Zephyrus.