11/2 Root Primavera.

Art is a way of life.

You live it, breathe it, you yourself are a piece of art.

            Live cannot exist without art, which is why there are pieces like Botticelli’s the Primavera that bring life to others. Located at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, this work attracts people from all over the globe. 

            The painting title itself means spring and is one of the greatest works held at the art gallery in Florence, Italy. Primavera is an allegory, it allusions to the season Spring, and more specifically May. It also allusions to many gods and goddesses. Inside the painting stands Venus, Mercury, Zephyrus, and Chloris. 
            During the Italian Renaissance, many artists had their work centered around Roman gods and goddesses. 

            The painting has various moving elements to it. Especially the mythological characters that the painting contains.

            Three females dancing in a circle while wearing see through dress on the left of the page, a woman being seized by a dark figure on the right of the painting, Cupid flying above, a woman in a flowered dress smirking.

            But what stands out the most, in this very detailed painting, are the two figures in red. A woman and a man.
            And the dark figure in black. 

            The woman, Venus, is standing in the middle of the painting, and is isolated from the rest of the group. Venus is the center of attention in Botticelli’s piece. Her red shaw is what sets her a part from the rest of the group. She is obviously the leader and the focus of the painting. She is the woman in charge, she is the idealized woman.

            In Italian Renaissance art, red is a sign of power, of royalty, and of strength. It only makes sense that Venus, the goddess of love and beauty is dressed in red, the color of attraction and lust.

            Another red factor in the painting is Mercury, the god of the month May. He is the only other figure in the painting that is draped in red. However, he is seen carrying a sword on his side, he is a fighter. In his other hand, he is holding up a staff to the sky. He is spreading the clouds to make way for spring to arrive.

            The color red in this painting is interesting. Red was one of the most expensive colors to obtain during the Italian Renaissance. Red is also a natural color; it was made from foreign insects, obtained from places like India and the Americas. Italy was a well known trade center, and they had the ability to obtain foreign objects, like the insects that could dye paint into a captivating red. Red is also a symbol of authority in the churches. Cardinals, the Pope, and Bishops all wear red on many different occasions. In some way, this painting reflects the power of red in any circumstance: royalty, religion, beauty, etc.

            Both Mercury and Venus are the only ones in the painting that are draped in red. Is it because of their godly status that they are in red, or was it unintentional? Nothing is unintentional in art. However, there is no documentation to tell us otherwise how we should take in and evaluate Primavera.
           Then, there's that dark, mysterious figure on the right. It screams evil. He is Zephrus, the God of wind. He is depicted taking Chloris, a nymph, as his wife. The two eventually marry, and he turns her into Flora, the Goddess of Spring. 

        Red and black are combined in this famous piece. However, the red remains the dominant color in the piece. Red is the color that draws people in.