When analyzing and comparing two works of art, there are many aspects that one must take into account, especially if they belong to different mediums. Even though there may be many differences, one can still find similarities between two masterpieces. This is more significant if they belong to the same historical and ideological context, as in the case of Sandro Botticelli’s painting “The Birth of Venus” and Agnolo Poliziano's poem “Stanze per la Giostra”. They were both important exponents of the Renaissance’s humanist movement, which sought to recall the importance of man, including the rationality and mythology of the classical Greeks. Therefore, even though they may be very different one can see this subject running through both of them as a common theme.
In fact, there are many critics that find Botticelli’s painting to have been inspired by Poliziano’s poem. For example, in Uffizi’s page, one can read that the canvas work contains “clear references to the ‘Stanzas’, a famous poetic work by Agnolo Poliziano, a contemporary of Botticelli and the greatest Neoplatonic poet of the Medici court” (Uffizi). Here, one can already see many of the important aspects that both of these works share: Neoplatonism and the influence of the Medicis.
It is important to note the ideological context that both of these works were born under. “Neoplatonism was a current of thought that tried to connect the Greek and Roman cultural heritage with Christianity” (Uffizi). As such, there are constant references to gods in both of the pieces, being the virtual protagonists in the painting, and very influential in Poliziano’s poem.
In terms of Botticelli’s painting, even though Venus is obviously the main feature of this work, there are also other gods in the painting, including Zephyr, the West wind god that blows Venus to the shore, where one of the goddesses of the seasons is prepared to put a cape on her. Both of these serve to balance Venus, who is at the center of the piece.
The importance of the mythological gods is also present in the poem, as this was a way of recalling the significance of the Greeks, as stated before. The poem “refers explicitly to mythological characters, as does most of Poliziano’s poetry so typical of humanist poets” (Freedman 60).
An omniscient, third-person narrator presents this poem that attempts to emphasize what is good about human beings. It does this by celebrating the mythological tradition of the ancient Greeks, who were renowned for their rationality (Artz 1). As such, it presents many classical tableaus, with the gods and mortals being in relationship to one another.
Poliziano assumed that people would already be familiar with the many myths that he attempted to express in his poems. His poems were intaglios, attempting to describe a scene with such minute detail and beauty that a painter could make a masterpiece from them, as they effectively did afterwards. He wrote with such beauty that people could imagine these mythical beings as if they were alive. The visual representations Poliziano made of mythological narratives mainly consisted in only portraying the key moments in the tale, not the whole story, allowing the knowledgeable reader to fill in the blanks.
It is also important to note that Venus is being depicted almost as a human. By making Venus come from a seashell, it not only represents her coming from the sea, but may be symbolically linked to humans as well. If one takes the seashell to be a symbol for female genitalia, one can clearly see the relationship between her aspects as a deity and humans.
In fact, this deity was used to symbolize both intellectual love and the fountain of desire in humans, so it is a fitting choice to have her and not another god. “The Neoplatonic philosophical meaning is then clear: the work would mean the birth of love and the spiritual beauty as a driving force of life” (Uffizi). Human values and virtues are exemplified as being godly through Venus.
One of the most important humanist elements in “The Birth of Venus” is the titular character’s nudity. In this sense, it breaks away from the practical ban that there was against showing the nude human form, imposed by the religious tradition of the time. Nevertheless, it is important to note that it is not done in an erotic fashion, but a classical an elegant one, straying away from carnal pleasures.
Similarly, in this poem, one can see the protagonist Giuliano shying away from society and love. He does this in order to go after Diana, the divine huntress. “Cupid, with the help of his mother Venus, succeeds in igniting in Giuliano’s heart a spark of love that corresponds to an identical spark in the heart of the lady of his choice, thus inducing the huntsman to return to the city and take part in a joust” (Freedman 60-61). Here, one can see one of the most important aspects of the classical mythologies: the intromission of the gods into the mortals’ lives. The main character prefers to dedicate himself to mythology, shying away from society, towards individualism and rationality.
Finally, it is important to take into account the influence that the court of Medici had on both of these pieces of art. Poliziano was a humanist scholar that Lorenzo de’ Medici took under his wing. He was one of the pioneers in using the Tuscan dialect for his poetry. The author “provides a vivid description of the garden of Venus, where the little brothers of Cupid—those who concern themselves with the love affairs of ordinary people—sharpen their arrows on whetstones and cause even the fish to fall in love” (The Metrapolitan Museum of Art). They made a profound impact on the history of art, not just by providing money, but orienting the pieces towards humanism as well.
Boticelli also presented this in his work, praising the still-famous Medicis. In “The Birth of Venus”, one can see that “the beginning of the reign of love finally comes to Florence thanks to the Medici, their diplomatic skills and their vast culture” (Uffizi). It is only through this sociopolitical context that the true importance of this work can be assessed, along with its revolutionary changes.
In conclusion, both Botticelli’s painting “The Birth of Venus” and Poliziano's poem “Stanze per la Giostra” present the Neoplatonist ideals of the Medici court, including an emphasis on rationality and a revival of Greek mythology. One can see gods as very important figures in both of these works, important in their relationship to humans. Furthermore, rationality plays a central role, as well as individualism, which was important for humanism. Finally, it is important to note that this was a consequence of the influence that the Medicis had on both of these artists. It is astonishing to see how these two, different works are still so in tune due to their context.
Works Cited
Artz, Frederick Binkerd. Renaissance Humanism, 1300-1500. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 1966. Print.
Uffizi. “The Birth of the Venus”. Photograph. Uffizzi.org. Guide to Uffizi gallery museum. Web. 02 Aug. 2016. <http://www.uffizi.org/artworks/the-birth-of-venus-by-sandro-botticelli/>.
Freedman, Luba. Classical Myths in Italian Renaissance Painting. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Print.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “‘La Giostra di Giuliano de Medici’: Printed book with woodcut illustrations”. The MET. Web. 02 Aug. 2016. <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/25.30.22/>.
