How Botticelli revolutionized portraits through 'Portrait of a Young Man' painting

In this episode, Associate Curator Laura Llewellyn from the National Gallery in London presents the 'Portrait of a Young Man' painting.

The 'Portrait of a Young Man' was painted about 1480 - 1485 by the Italian Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli.

Sandro Botticelli, original name Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi (1445 - May 17, 1510), was one of the greatest painters of the Florentine Renaissance.

Botticelli was apprenticed to the famous Florentine artist Fra Filippo Lippi around 1461 - 1462.

He started his career by painting frescoes for Florentine churches and cathedrals, and worked with the painter and engraver Antonio del Pollaiuolo. By 1470 he set up his workshop in Florence and worked as an independent master.

Botticelli joined the Compagnia di San Luca, the confraternity of Florentine painters, in 1472.

During his ascendant year, from 1481, Botticelli was summoned by the Pope to Rome to help decorate the walls of the recently completed Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. Many famous frescoes were painted by him during this time, including 'the Life of Moses,' 'the Temptations of Christ', and several papal portraits.

Botticelli painted his most famous work “The Birth of Venus” around 1484–1486.

Please follow Laura Llewellyn to explore how Sandro Botticelli revolutionized portraits through the 'Portrait of a Young Man'.