Botticelli\u27s La Primavera: Painting the Cosmos of Human Ideals

This thesis examines how Florentine humanism influenced Botticelli\u27s painting La Primavera. There have been many interpretations of its programme, however, these interpretations have taken a narrow view of the influences surrounding Botticelli and the possibilities of human genius and creativity. This thesis will expand the understanding of La Primavera by examining the multiple interests of Botticelli\u27s patrons, the Medicis, the intellectuals surrounding Lorenzo de\u27 Medici, and the nature of the relationship between artists and patrons. Marsilio Ficino and Leon Battista Alberti, two important people in Lorenzo\u27s circle, who greatly influenced La Primavera, will be examined along with their work. Ficino\u27s medical philosophy will be examined along with the Corpus Hermeticum, an Egyptian esoteric text lost to Europe by the Middle Ages. In addition, Ficino\u27s Three Books on Life, the first medical text devoted to the health of intellectuals, and his letters will be examined to show how Ficino incorporated Hermeticism and natural magic into his philosophy. Alberti\u27s book On Painting, a painting manual, changed the nature of Renaissance painting by elevating art to the level of the humanities and rhetoric. His advice will be examined along with the Medici\u27s patronage and Ficino\u27s philosophy to find consistency within their mutual artistic ideals. The figures and symbols in La Primavera are closely studied to determine how they manifest Ficino\u27s philosophy and the main Hermetic concepts of god, the soul, rebirth/motion, and intellect. Additionally, they will be compared to Ficino\u27s medical, theological, and magical philosophy. It is clear that Botticelli\u27s painting was a dynamic and complex effort between the artist, patron, and intellectuals, who were particularly interested in transforming art into rhetoric and creating art which would facilitate further understanding of god and the role of the intellect in this. Natural magic plays a predominate role in the painting through the use of certain astrological energies seen through the figures of the gods and goddesses and the symbolism present. La Primavera is a tool to transport one\u27s mind into a perpetual Hermetic process of rebirth, intellectual discourse, and unity with god, allowing more than one approach to the painting, contrary to previous beliefs