Vintage Ad recreating Botticelli's Birth of Venus
if i do like ten more of these i should be good for art history...bahahahaa
Filippo Lippi, Fra Angelico, and Botticelli. If I could choose any artist’s work to have transferred to myself—to be able to say that I had painted this or that painting—I would choose the work of Botticelli-- over that of Michelangelo and Leonardo even. The faces that Leonardo creates are beyond impressive but compared to those of Botticelli I feel that they are too bland or vanilla. It isn’t the ability to create expressions (Leonardo is probably much better at those nuances) but rather more a personal preference on the style. It could be negatively said of Botticelli’s faces and figures that they are a bit too outlined and bordering on the cartoon. I think his balance between stylization and reality is perfect though. The eyes are striking, the noses and hands well defined (especially fingernails)—but in a way that appears intentional. The curls Botticelli creates remind me a little of Leonardo’s, however, Botticellian hair is slightly chunkier, not so feathery and light—as if gel has been used to set the curls and arrange the loose hair in ropey sylized twists. It isn’t that Botticelli wouldn’t know how the create the same kind of hair—he uses lighter and more delicate techniques for the folds of semi translucent lace or gauze that cover Mary’s head and smokily emanate from her crown. The contrast between the delicacy of his style in some places and the solidity in others is then very beautiful. ...If I could meet a real life versions of Botticelli’s, Leonardo’s, or Michelangelo’s figures it would be for different reasons for each. Upon meeting Leonardo’s character I would think, “Well, you seem boring at first glance but your personality seems amazing…so lets have deep intimate talks and become best friends!!” If Michelangelo’s character came up to me my first reaction would be to RUN from such a scarily imposing and majestic person but then (on second thoughts) I would decide it would be awesome to have someone like that on MY side as a kind of body guard—so then I would very politely ask some question so he/she could elaborate on his or her wisdom and enlighten my mind while statue-esquely protecting me more impressively than any Doberman ever could. And yes—although I am partial to the appearances of Botticelli’s people if I met one I don’t think our relationship would ever consist of more than just my awed stares while he or she beautifully but blankly stood, occasionally moving to show a better angle of the face or remain in flattering light. ...Because I will never actually get to meet any of these characters—will never have meaningful conversations with the Mona Lisa or any help in dark alleys from the Cumaean Sibyl—because my interaction will forever be limited by the paint of a canvas—I’ll stick with Botticelli, whose figures are eternally graceful, beautiful, and always in the best light.
