Last night's Jeopardy match made reference to Sandro Botticelli the famous Italian renaissance painter and his painting the Birth of Venus. It led me to read more about his story. You can follow the links to wiki to learn more, but in short, I wanted to focus on one of his later paintings, The Mystical Nativity. At this point in his life Botticelli was much influenced by Friar Girolamo Savonarola who had effectively assumed control of Florence.
Savonarola was a populist preacher tired of what he perceived as corruption and exploitation of the common man. He preached a new prosperity for Florence, as the New Jerusalem. Richer, more powerful, more glorious than ever. And this was sure to come soon. Very soon. He prophesied a Cyrus-like King was to come over the mountains and restore Florence to untold greatness.
Lo and behold! in 1492 Charles the VIII King of France came over the mountains, and many declared Savonarola a true prophet, but of course he was not coming to liberate Florence as much as exploit it. Again, read more on the links provided.
In the end the pope had had enough of Savonarola and had him publicly executed.
Back to the painting, The Mystical Nativity . A curious text reads at the top:
'This picture, at the end of the year 1500, in the troubles of Italy, I, Alessandro, in the half-time after the time, painted, according to the eleventh [chapter] of Saint John, in the second woe of the Apocalypse, during the release of the devil for three and a half years; then he shall be bound in the twelfth [chapter] and we shall see [him buried] as in this picture'
Our painter Botticelli had come to the conclusion that he was living in the last of the last days. He boldly declared in this painting that the year 1500 was of great significance and soon in 3 1/2 years the devil would be bound away.
Mystic_Nativity,_Sandro_Botticelli.jpg (2780×4026) (wikimedia.org)
