Sandro Botticelli, real name Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi, was one of the greatest painters of the Florentine Renaissance. He is known for his execution and precise use of lines to portray objects realistically. Botticelli was born in Florence Italy (1445-1510) and worked as an apprentice to a goldsmith early in his career.
When his apprenticeship as a goldsmith was over he then served as an apprentice to the painter Fra Fillippo Lippi. After working with Lippi, Botticelli developed his sense of line working with Andrea del Verrocchio. By 1470 he had his own workshop, where he spent most of his time producing pieces for the Medici family.
It was through the Medici family that Botticelli was influenced by Christian views. The “Adoration of the Magi" in the Uffizi palace is a wooden altar piece with connections to the Medici family. Here we see the landscape, in the bits of ruined architecture. You also see the somewhat detached effect of the figures, especially in the facial expressions.
Botticelli places his figures in the painting to create a geometric design on the panel. He uses a line of light from the top down through the holy family to the kneeling man. He uses the groups of people on each side for a balance and to help focus the attention to the central figure.
The one thing that I liked about the painting was the use of colors. The reds drew your eyes to those figures in the painting. The use of blue with the red on the Virgin Mother brought your eyes towards the baby which would have blended in with the surrounding otherwise. I did not like the fact that on such a wondrous occasion it looked as though the onlookers were talking amongst themselves. It seemed as though they did not heed the importance of the event.