Boticelli’s Dream Girl
 |
| Botticelli, Ideal Portrait of a Lady |
The latest exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art focuses on Renaissance portraiture. This is a must see for portrait artists, or anyone who loves romantic Italian art. The exhibition is broken down by geographical location as there is a Venice room, a Florence room etc and includes not just paintings but sculptural portrait busts as well.
 |
| Detail from Birth of Venus |
A highlight of the exhibition is a breathtaking portrait by Botticelli. Immediately as you walk into the Florence room you are drawn to the idealized painting of Simonetta Vespucci. She was a bit of a cult figure and died at a tragically young age. Her legendary beauty was described as flowing curly tendrils and pearly white skin. Simonetta became known as the most beautiful woman in Florence, and later the most beautiful woman of the Renaissance. She looks like the Venus figure in Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and in fact many art historian have debated whether she served as a model or muse. Certainly, the painter would have had the most beautiful woman of his time in mind when painting the Goddess of Beauty.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Renaissance Portrait from Donatello to Bellini
through March 18, 2012
This exhibition has ended… but you can continue your journey with portraits… have you ever wanted to master portraits in watercolor? Take this survey and learn more!
A good portrait artist does much more than capture someone's likeness on canvas or paper. The most skilled portrait artists have the ability to create works that draw us in and reveal the sitter's character and personality.
The Renaissance era has inspired me in many ways! The natural beauty of the women, the romance, the chivalry,It was a time of fairy tales! I attend and sell my wares regularly at renaissance fairs and LOVE the rich fabrics of the clothing. My fans were inspired by the era. even as a young girl the "birth of Venus" has always been a favorite of mine! I had even purchased a statue of her on one of my travels while i was in my teens! I think I may have lived in that time in another life!Thank you so much for choosing to feature one of my feather fans in this wonderful collection!
Sherry Evans, Rubys vintage emporium- etsy
thank you for including my mirrors in your collection. you have chosen well. the collection itself is inspiring.
As you can tell from my collection in "Renaissance's Dream" above; I am inspired by the style. How clothes, houses, jewelry and daily items were made. The detail is amazing and beautiful to me. I love how they used colors and made them pop. Thank you for using my collection.
Thank you for including my shield ring, I love the Renaissance and look forward to seeing all your wonderful finds. Thank you, Twilight Eyes Studio
http://www.etsy.com/shop/TwilightEyesStudio@yahoo.com
The Renaissance era inspires me because it was the age of change and enlightenment! The people were very intelligent and talented yet still lived so close to the Earth. Your collection above is very captivating as it highlights the beauty of those times to me!