The Uffizi Gallery in Florence was one of my favourite things to see. The art this gallery contains can be considered some of the finest Renaissance art ever created. We were able to see the paintings "The Birth of Venus" and "Primavera" by Sandro Botticelli- my favourite Renaissance artist. The paintings exemplify the Renaissance throw-back to classical antiquity that we have learned about in class, as Boticelli uses many classical elements within these works. For example, in "Primavera," the artist uses a combination of mythological figures to represent springtime. Flora, the deity of spring; Mercury, the god of May, and Venus, with cupid above her, are all ancient figures who lend symbolism to Botticelli's work.
"Botticelli's Primavera"
We were also able to see works by such famed artists as Raphael and Michelangelo. Raphael's painting, "Madonna of the Gold Finch," is demonstrative of the symbolic art Peter taught us about in class. Much of the art of the Renaissance period used symbolism to convey meaning in its paintings. This technique was used to aid in clarity of understanding in artwork as many people at the time were illiterate and needed images (rather than words) to understand concepts. The gold finch in this painting signifies the "future violent death of Jesus Christ," a theme that appears frequently in Renaissance art. The gold finch was chosen as this symbol because in the winter, the bird can survive eating thorns. The thorns represent the suffering of Jesus through the crown of thorns He wore.
"Raphael's Madonna of the Gold Finch"
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