Florence to Minneapolis: Botticelli visits the MIA
Hailing all the way from Florence, “Botticelli and Renaissance Florence: Masterworks from the Uffizi” gives Minneapolis the chance to explore art so masterful they were approved by the Medici family.
BY SRIHITA RAJU WITH ART BY MEGAN BORMANN
Previously acting as an office for the famous Medici family, the Uffizi building now houses some of Florence, Italy’s greatest artwork. The current director of the Uffizi’s gallery, Eike Schmidt, previously chaired the Minneapolis Institute of Art’s Department of Decorative Arts, Textiles, and Sculpture before moving to Florence. This connection made it possible for the Botticelli pieces to make their way across the Atlantic and to the Twin Cities.
Sandro Botticelli, born in 1445, was an Italian painter during the early Renaissance. Botticelli perfected his artistry while training under Filippo Lippi, another famed Italian painter. His talent eventually caught the attention of the Medici family, a powerful political family in Florence who were famed patrons of the arts.
Ian Karp, an assistant curator at the MIA who worked on this exhibit, suggests that even if you know nothing about Sandro Botticelli, Florence, the Medici, or art history at all, you need no prior knowledge before visiting this exhibit. He says, “It sounds a bit cheesy, but just bring your curiosity and an open mind…academics and specialists will of course enjoy the opportunity to look at and discuss such wonderful examples of the Italian Renaissance in person. But the show is equally for those who have no training and no prior knowledge, for those who want to experience beauty and see artwork from a time fraught with so many familiar issues: plague, economic uncertainty, and spiritual and religious tension.”
“Botticelli and Renaissance Florence: Masterworks from the Uffizi” is currently being featured at the MIA until January 8, 2023. Visitors will have the opportunity to see Botticelli’s work in context. Accompanied by Lippi’s work, prominent religious works from the time, and other popular Florentine art that inspired and was inspired by Botticelli, this exhibit will give Minnesotans the opportunity to gain meaningful insights into Renaissance Florence without having to pay for a plane ticket out of our cities.