Sandro Botticelli, original name Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi  (b. 1445, Florence [Italy]—d. May 17, 1510, Florence), one of the greatest painters of the Florentine Renaissance. His The Birth of Venus and Primavera are often said to epitomize for modern viewers the spirit of the Renaissance.  Botticelli’s name is derived from that of his elder brother Giovanni, a pawnbroker who was called Botticello (“The Little Barrel”). As is often the case with Renaissance artists, most of the modern information about Botticelli’s life and character derives from ...

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