Being a long time fan of Botticelli, I was thrilled when I got to see some of his portraits at the Met. The portraits I saw were side by side and they were called “Portrait of an Ideal Lady”. These portraits were beautiful, from their porcelain skin down to the braids in their hair and the garments they wore. They are both said to be depictions of a woman, Simonetta Vespucci, who was said to be the most beautiful woman in Florence, Italy. She was a noblewoman from Genoa and married Marco Vespucci, which after that she was introduced to the Florentine Court.
Located in Florence the painting “The Birth of Venus” is another one of Botticelli’s paintings (probably one of his most famous) and Venus is said to be modeled after Simonetta Vespucci herself although this is up to much dispute. The Medici brothers were even said to be entranced by this woman, Simonetta Vespucci.
The portraits definitely stood out to me among the rest of the portraits I saw at the Met. Botticelli had a very distinct style that anyone who has studied art can pinpoint. He would elongate his subjects, stretch limbs to help out the composition, and have a very fantasy like quality to all of his work. Seeing these paintings in person was incredible and I can’t imagine someone just giving it one glance and walking away. She is truly entrancing.
