Botticelli and the dark subtext of The Mystical Nativity. Botticelli and the Dark Subtext of The Mystical Nativity Historical Context and Puzzling Aspects
Natività mistica) is one of the last paintings by the Florentine artist Sandro Botticelli, created in a period marked in his work by the breakdown of Quattrocento optimism, the growth of religiosity and an acutely tragic perception of the world.The canvas was practically unknown until the Englishman Otley saw it at Aldobrandini's villa and acquired it. Botticelli was "rediscovered" by art critics with the beginning of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, it was then that John Ruskin gave the canvas its current name. In 1878, the London National Gallery purchased the painting for £1,500. At the top of the canvas, a Greek inscription has been preserved, which reads:
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It is extremely difficult to give any interpretation of this text with apocalyptic allusions. It is obvious that the work belongs to Botticelli, as it is signed ( Alessandro, Sandro- a derivative of Alexander) and dated 1501 (the Florentine year ended on March 24, and the artist mentions the end of 1500). In addition, the author mentions political unrest in Italy, that is, the picture was painted during the political and military unrest that shook the artist's native Tuscany after the death of Lorenzo the Magnificent.
The “Apocalypse” of John is mentioned, most likely, in connection with the end of the long trials (the beginning of which the researchers of Botticelli’s work attribute to the moment of the burning of Fra Girolamo Savonarola or with the cruel military campaigns of Cesare Borgia), when evil will be defeated.
In the composition of The Mystical Nativity, the artist relied both on sacred ideas and on the sermons of Savonarolla. This is evidenced by the illustration of one of the collections of sermons by Fra Girolamo (1496, Florence, National Library). The iconography of the painting, as well as the intonation of the inscription, are marked by the influence of mysticism and the severity of the preacher's teaching.
About the speeches of Savonarola, in particular about his Christmas sermon, delivered under the Florentine year 1494, where he called on the inhabitants of Florence to turn the city into a new Nazareth, they are reminded of the figures who came to bow to the baby in clothes modern to the artist, pacified by a saving embrace with angels; meanwhile, the demons at the bottom of the picture rush to hide in the cracks that have opened in the ground.
On the roof of the hut are three angels dressed in white, red and green. These colors represent Grace, Truth and Justice, often featured in Savonarola's speeches. The scene is dominated by the theme of peace and tranquility, emphasized by the symbolism of the olive wreaths and branches that accompany the characters. The olive branches are also held in the hands of angels circling over the hut - a plot borrowed from the decoration of churches practiced since the time of Brunelleschi for sacred performances.
"Mystical Christmas"(Italian: Natività mistica) is one of the last paintings by the Florentine artist Sandro Botticelli, created in a period marked in his work by the breakdown of Quattrocento optimism, the growth of religiosity, and an acutely tragic perception of the world.
The canvas was practically unknown until the Englishman Otley saw it at Aldobrandini's villa and acquired it. Botticelli was "rediscovered" by art critics with the beginning of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, it was then that John Ruskin gave the canvas its current name. In 1878, the London National Gallery bought the painting for £1,500. At the top of the canvas, a Greek inscription has been preserved, which reads:
It was written at the end of the year 1500, during the turmoil in Italy, by me, Alexander, in the middle of that period at the beginning of which the chapter IX of St. John and the second revelation of the Apocalypse were fulfilled, when Satan reigned on earth for three and a half years. At the end of this period, the devil will again be chained, and we will see him cast down, as in this picture.
Original text (Greek)
Εγώ, ο Αλέξανδρος, ζωγράφισα το έργο αυτό, στο τέλος του έτους 1500, ένους για την Ιταλία, στο μισό του χρόνου, κατά την εκπλήρωση της προφητείας του 11ο υ κεφαλαίου [της Αποκάλυψης] του Ιωάννη, στην εποχή της δεύτερης πληγής της Αποκά λυψης . Μετά θα αλυσοδεθεί σύμφωνα με το 12ο κεφάλαιο και θα τον δούμε να συντρίβεται, όπως σε αυτό τον πίνακα.
It is extremely difficult to give any interpretation of this text with apocalyptic allusions. It is obvious that the work belongs to Botticelli, as it is signed ( Alessandro, Sandro- a derivative of Alexander) and dated 1501 (the Florentine year ended on March 24, and the artist mentions the end of 1500). In addition, the author mentions political unrest in Italy, that is, the picture was painted during the political and military unrest that shook the artist's native Tuscany after the death of Lorenzo the Magnificent.
The “Apocalypse” of John is most likely mentioned in connection with the end of the long trials (the beginning of which the researchers of Botticelli’s work attribute to the time of the burning of Fra Girolamo Savonarola or with the cruel military campaigns of Cesare Borgia), when evil will be defeated.
In the composition of The Mystical Nativity, the artist relied both on sacred ideas and on the sermons of Savonarola. This is evidenced by the illustration of one of the collections of sermons by Fra Girolamo (1496, Florence, National Library). The iconography of the painting, as well as the intonation of the inscription, are marked by the influence of mysticism and the severity of the preacher's teaching.
About the speeches of Savonarola, in particular about his Christmas sermon, delivered under the Florentine year 1494, where he called on the inhabitants of Florence to turn the city into a new Nazareth, they are reminded of the figures who came to bow to the baby in clothes modern to the artist, pacified by a saving embrace with angels; meanwhile, the demons at the bottom of the picture rush to hide in the cracks that have opened in the ground.
On the roof of the hut are three angels dressed in white, red and green. These colors represent Grace, Truth and Justice, often featured in Savonarola's speeches. The scene is dominated by the theme of peace and tranquility, emphasized by the symbolism of the olive wreaths and branches that accompany the characters. The olive branches are also held in the hands of angels circling over the hut - a plot borrowed from the decoration of churches practiced since the time of Brunelleschi for sacred performances.
Italian art of the 15th century. Renaissance.
Painting by artist Sandro Botticelli "Mystical Christmas". The size of the master's work is 108.5 x 75 cm, tempera on canvas. In this picture, Botticelli depicts a vision where the image of the world appears without boundaries, where there is no organization of space by perspective, where the heavenly is mixed with the earthly. Christ was born in a wretched hut. Mary, Joseph and the pilgrims who came to the place of the miracle bowed before Him in reverence and amazement. Angels with olive branches in their hands lead a round dance in the sky, glorify the mystical birth of the Child and, descending to earth, worship Him. The artist interprets this sacred scene of the appearance of the Savior into the world as a religious mystery, presenting it in a “common” language. He consciously primitivizes forms and lines, complements intense and colorful colors with an abundance of gold. Sandro resorts to the symbolism of scale ratios, increasing the figure of Mary in comparison with other characters, and to the symbolism of details, such as branches of the world, inscriptions on ribbons, wreaths. Angels in the sky are circling in an ecstatic round dance. The whirlwind of their robes is outlined with a piercingly clear line. The figures stand out clearly against the blue and gold of the sky. On the ribbons wrapping around the branches, inscriptions from prayer hymns are read: “Peace on earth, goodwill towards men” and others.
Giorgione "Sleeping Venus"
The poetic pinnacle of Giorgione's art was "Sleeping Venus" - the only one of the artist's paintings on a mythological plot that has come down to us. It also became a kind of result of all Giorgione's thoughts about man and the world around him, it embodied the idea of a free, unclouded existence of man among poetic nature. In 1525, M. Michiel wrote about her: “The painting on canvas depicting a naked Venus, who is sleeping in a landscape, and Cupid, was painted by Giorgione from Castelfranco, but the landscape and Cupid were completed by Titian”
Velasquez "Bacchus"
Triumph of Bacchus the Drunkard. The painting was painted, or, in any case, completed by Velázquez in 1629. In this picture, the bright creative independence of the artist is revealed. His idea is bold and unusual. A picture painted on a mythological plot. Velázquez depicts a feast of Spanish vagabonds in the company of the ancient god Bacchus against the backdrop of a mountain landscape. The god of wine and fun is depicted here as a friend and helper of the poor. Bacchus crowns a kneeling soldier with a wreath, who probably deserved such a reward for such an addiction to drinking. Half-naked, like his satyr companion, the god sits cross-legged on a barrel of wine. One of the participants in the feast brings a bagpipe to his lips to mark this jokingly solemn moment with music. But even hops cannot drive out of their minds the thought of hard work and worries.
But especially charming is the open and straightforward face of a peasant in a black hat with a bowl in his hands. His smile is conveyed unusually vividly and naturally. It burns in the eyes, illuminates the whole face, makes his features motionless. The nude figures of Bacchus and the satyr are painted like everyone else, from nature, from strong village boys. Velazquez captured here the representatives of the social lower classes, conveying truthfully and vividly and expressive appearance, faces hardened under the hot sun, full of ingenuous fun, but at the same time marked with the seal of harsh life experience. But this is not just a drunken revel, there is a feeling of a Bacchic element in the picture. The artist is not interested in the actual mythological side of conjecture, but in the atmosphere of the general elation of images that arises due to the introduction of mythological characters, as if familiarizing with the forces of nature. The artist finds such forms of characterization that do not separate the sublime from the base. In his depiction of Bacchus, a dense young man, with a peaceful, ingenuous face, acquired purely human qualities.
The Greek inscription at the top translates as: "This painting, at the end of the year 1500, in the problems of Italy, I am Alessandro, in the break after the time, painted, according to the eleventh [chapter] of St. John, in the second mount of the Apocalypse, during the release of the devil for three and a half years; then he shall be bound in the twelfth [chapter], and we shall see [him buried] as in this picture." Botticelli believed himself to have lived during the Tribulation, possibly due to upheavals in Europe at the time, and predicted the Millennium of Christ, as stated in the biblical text.
It has been suggested that the painting could be related to the influence of Savonarola, whose influence appears in many of Botticelli's last paintings, although the content of the image may have been determined by the person commissioning it. The painting uses the medieval convention of showing the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus larger and larger than other figures and than their medium; this was of course done deliberately for effect, as the earlier use of Botticellis corrects graphical perspective.
Historical context and puzzling aspects
Mystical Christmas depicts a scene of joy and celebration, earthly and heavenly delight, with angels dancing at the top of the painting. At the top of the painting is the name of Sandro Botticelli - but also apocalyptic and disturbing words. And there are dark warnings - a helpless child resting on a leaf that evokes the shroud in which his body will one day be wrapped, while the cave in which the stage is set resembles his tomb. The kings on the abandoned bear are no gifts but their own devotion. At the top of the painting, twelve angels are dressed in the colors of faith, hope, and charity dancing in a circle holding olive branches, and above them, the heavens open in a large golden dome, while at the bottom of the painting, three angels embrace three men, appearing to lift them from the earth. They hold scrolls that proclaim in Latin, "peace on earth to the men of benevolence." Behind them, seven devils flee the underworld, some impaled on their own weapons. In the Renaissance, the Doomsday paintings of the times showed viewers an account of the damned and the saved at the Second Coming of Christ. In repeating this kind of painting, the Mystic Nativity asks us to think not only of the birth of Christ, but also of his return..” (Jonathan Nelson, Syracuse University in Florence).
Painting emerged from the city of Florence at a time when the fanatical preacher Savonarola held the city in his power. He arrived in Florence in 1490, but was repulsed by the artistic fame and great wealth that so impressed the world. He preached that it was corrupt and a vice ridden place. The great scourge drew near—and then his words took on a horrific reality: the Italian War of 1494-1498. In 1494 a huge French army invaded Italy and the troops entered Florence so that the Florentines feared that the King of France wanted to sack the city. Savonarola stepped into a political vacuum, he met with the French king and persuaded him to leave Florence peacefully. In their gratitude and relief, the Florentines increasingly viewed the monk as a prophet and his preaching attracted huge crowds to the Florence Cathedral. Savonarola argued that Florence could become the New Jerusalem if the citizens repented and forsook their sinful luxury - and that included much of their art. His beliefs were made real, while groups of evangelical youths continued into the streets to encourage people to part with their luxuries, their obscene pictures, and their books, their vanities, their combs, their mirrors. Botticelli may have seen his own paintings fueled by fire. Yet the artist may not have objected because, like much of the city, he also came under the influence of Savonarola. It seems that the sermon preached by Savonarola has directly on the Mystic Christmas.
In one sermon Savonarola was preaching, he formulated a vision that came to him in which he saw an extraordinary heavenly crown. At its base were twelve hearts with twelve ribbons wrapped around them, and written on them in Latin were the unique mystical qualities or privileges of the Virgin Mary - she is "her father's mother", "her son's daughter", "God's bride", etc. d. Although much of the writing on the ribbons held by the dancing angels is now invisible to the naked eye, infrared reflectography has shown that the original words on the angels' ribbons correspond exactly to the 12 Virgo Savonarola privileges. In his sermon preached on the Day of Assumption, Savonarola continued to explore the 11th and 12th chapters of the Book of Revelation - the exact chapters mentioned in the painting's inscription. He combined the glory of Mary with the inevitable exit from the power of Christ on earth.
Savonarola held Florence in his hand for years, but his hardline charismatic rule made him a powerful political enemy. He was challenged to prove his holiness by walking through the fire and when he refused the current of opinion turned against him. He was arrested, and under torture confessed to being a false prophet. On 23 May 1498 he was hanged with two of his leading lieutenants, their burnt bodies and their ashes scattered in the river Arno. Some see the figures of these three men at the base of the painting as representatives of the three executed holy men, raised and restored to grace - but persecution was not the world for the followers of Savonarola, and it was in an atmosphere of oppression that Botticelli intended to create Mystical Christmas.
The painting is on canvas - normally he would use a wood panel - perhaps for a painting with a dangerous message, the canvas had the advantage that it could be folded up and hidden. With his canvas prepared, he would sketch the detailed design on paper, then he would transfer it to the canvas. He drew on many sources - the dancing angels repeat his own three graces. Primavera, the rushing devil was inspired by a German woodcut. The x-ray shows that very little of the original design has changed - only the angel's wing has been fitted and trees have been added over the roof of the stable. Botticelli was now ready to create an image using oil paint - like a canvas experimental medium. To create a heavenly dome, Botticelli turned to the goldsmith's craft, which he learned as a boy. "The symbolism of gold refers to the unchanging, unsullied nature of the heavens - gold does not decay, it does not darken like silver. Botticelli would use an adhesive layer made from oil mixed with resin - not polished, gold just flattened on the surface, after the surface faults of the canvas - gloss, tangled, it will help the gem as a quality of painting - it would pull the eye upwards from Christmas to Heaven Faith, hope and charity, [angels dressed in ] white, green and red - but the copper based green pigment has faded over time to bronze. Initially it would have been bright."
The fate of painting
Botticelli died in 1510. Mystical Christmas remained hidden for another three centuries. Rome in the late 18th century was very different from Renaissance Florence - except for the presence of French invaders. Many foreigners left, but not the young Englishman, William Young Ottley. He was an art lover, and wealthy with a slave plantation in the Caribbean. He bought a lot of paintings cheaply. At the Villa Aldobrandini he saw a small, unknown work, Mystical Christmas Botticelli. Botticelli was then in darkness.
It arrived in London, where the Ottley house became in effect a private museum of Italian masterpieces. After Ottley's death, Stansted's William Fuller Maitland took the painting at auction for £80. When he loaned it to the Masterpieces Exhibition, Manchester 1857, it was now on open display. Exhibition newspaper Auditor of Masterpieces printed a new engraving of him.
John Ruskin helped give painting its name; after seeing it in London, he mentioned the "mystical symbolism of Botticelli". When Maitland died, the National Gallery in London stepped in. According to Nicholas Penny the Gallery “was concerned to buy works from the earlier Renaissance – previously it had been its top priority to buy masterpieces about which there would be no controversy at all. There was an element of avant-garde excitement about buying paintings like this in the 19th century." The gallery had to find £1,500, having been nearly 20 times what it had brought in just thirty years earlier.
Sandro Botticelli | Mysticism of Christmas / Natività mystica 1501
Tone" Christmas Mystery"shows angels and men celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. The Virgin Mary kneels in adoration in front of her young son, looked at the ox and donkey at the manger. Mary's husband, Joseph, sleeps nearby. Shepherds and wise men visited the newborn king. Angels in heaven dance and akathists sing, On earth they proclaim to the world, joyfully embracing virtuous men, while seven demons vanquished to the underworld.
>Botticelli paintings have long been called" Christmas Mystery because of its mysterious symbolism. It combines the birth of Christ, as told in the New Testament, with the vision of his second coming, as promised in the book of Revelation.
Second coming - return of Christ to earth- will portend the end of the world and the reconciliation of orthodox Christians with God.
The painting was painted one and a half millennia after the birth of Christ, when religious and political upheavals prompted prophetic warnings about the end of the world.
"Christmas Mystery"was probably painted as a private devotional work for a Florentine patron. | © National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London
LV Natività mistica stopsè un dipinto in olio su body (108.5x75 cm) di
