Comments on: It’s Botticelli, man! http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1656 News for Art Historians Tue, 16 Nov 2010 08:57:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Hasan Niyazi http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1656&cpage=1#comment-138718 Hasan Niyazi Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:24:29 +0000 http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1656#comment-138718 Much has happened since those entries in May! With the help of some Botanical friends, we've crossed out the Daturas and found a enchanting new candidate for the plant in the painting. See the images and decide for yourself: http://goo.gl/P5Wm Much has happened since those entries in May! With the help of some Botanical friends, we’ve crossed out the Daturas and found a enchanting new candidate for the plant in the painting. See the images and decide for yourself:

http://goo.gl/P5Wm

]]> By: david.packwood http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1656&cpage=1#comment-138573 david.packwood Sun, 30 May 2010 13:18:52 +0000 http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1656#comment-138573 What have I started!? What have I started!?

]]> By: Hasan Niyazi http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1656&cpage=1#comment-138572 Hasan Niyazi Sun, 30 May 2010 12:56:28 +0000 http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1656#comment-138572 Dioscorides famous 1st century text Materia Medica contained a description of stramonium datura. We know Cosimo de Medici acquired Materia Medica well before Botticelli executed Mars and Venus in the 1480s. Dioscorides famous 1st century text Materia Medica contained a description of stramonium datura. We know Cosimo de Medici acquired Materia Medica well before Botticelli executed Mars and Venus in the 1480s.

]]> By: Ben http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1656&cpage=1#comment-138571 Ben Sun, 30 May 2010 12:42:52 +0000 http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1656#comment-138571 Wow. Off on a tangent: reviews of Botticelli books by Dombrowki, Bredekamp, Rehm, on the 500th anniversary of SB's death http://www.dradio.de/dkultur/sendungen/kritik/1184384/ Wow. Off on a tangent: reviews of Botticelli books by Dombrowki, Bredekamp, Rehm, on the 500th anniversary of SB’s death

http://www.dradio.de/dkultur/sendungen/kritik/1184384/

]]> By: Monica Bowen http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1656&cpage=1#comment-138556 Monica Bowen Sat, 29 May 2010 03:38:09 +0000 http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1656#comment-138556 I wanted to point out one puzzling thing about the link that Hasan included above. The link mentions that the plant was introduced in Italy after 1500 (and Botticelli's <i>Venus and Mars</i> was painted c. 1483). That's a discrepancy of about 17 years. I wonder if the post-1500 introductory date for the plant is inaccurate, or really a rough estimate? Or, perhaps humanists like Botticelli were aware of the plant before it was actually introduced into the country (since its hallucinogenic effects were recorded by ancient Greeks). On the other hand, perhaps Venus and Mars could be seen as visual evidence that the plant existed in Italy before 1500? Perhaps I'll need to contact David Bellingham to hear his opinion (and get more answers!) (David Packwood - I'm pretty sure that you meant to credit David Bellingham of Sotheby's, not David Bellamy.) Cheers! I wanted to point out one puzzling thing about the link that Hasan included above. The link mentions that the plant was introduced in Italy after 1500 (and Botticelli’s Venus and Mars was painted c. 1483). That’s a discrepancy of about 17 years. I wonder if the post-1500 introductory date for the plant is inaccurate, or really a rough estimate? Or, perhaps humanists like Botticelli were aware of the plant before it was actually introduced into the country (since its hallucinogenic effects were recorded by ancient Greeks). On the other hand, perhaps Venus and Mars could be seen as visual evidence that the plant existed in Italy before 1500?

Perhaps I’ll need to contact David Bellingham to hear his opinion (and get more answers!)

(David Packwood – I’m pretty sure that you meant to credit David Bellingham of Sotheby’s, not David Bellamy.) Cheers!

]]> By: Hasan Niyazi http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1656&cpage=1#comment-138552 Hasan Niyazi Fri, 28 May 2010 14:44:36 +0000 http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1656#comment-138552 Datura Trombo Del Diavolo is the common Italian term for this plant. Indeed, upon Monica's suggestion, further research suggests that the term 'Thorn Apple' is an English one. http://www-3.unipv.it/orto1773/officinali/stramonio.htm Datura Trombo Del Diavolo is the common Italian term for this plant. Indeed, upon Monica’s suggestion, further research suggests that the term ‘Thorn Apple’ is an English one.

http://www-3.unipv.it/orto1773/officinali/stramonio.htm

]]> By: Monica Bowen http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1656&cpage=1#comment-138539 Monica Bowen Fri, 28 May 2010 01:10:45 +0000 http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1656#comment-138539 Fascinating article! I wonder if the nicknames for the plant ("thorn apple" and "Devil's trumpet") exist in Italian, and if those names were extant in in the 15th century. It certainly would support the Tree of Knowledge theory that is suggested in the article. Fascinating article! I wonder if the nicknames for the plant (“thorn apple” and “Devil’s trumpet”) exist in Italian, and if those names were extant in in the 15th century. It certainly would support the Tree of Knowledge theory that is suggested in the article.

]]> By: David Packwood http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1656&cpage=1#comment-138534 David Packwood Thu, 27 May 2010 19:31:34 +0000 http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1656#comment-138534 Three Pipe Problem has a great article on this, with a reproduction of the hallucinogenic plant Datura. http://threepipeproblem.blogspot.com/2010/05/misrepresenting-botticelli-for-modern.html Three Pipe Problem has a great article on this, with a reproduction of the hallucinogenic plant Datura.

http://threepipeproblem.blogspot.com/2010/05/misrepresenting-botticelli-for-modern.html

]]> By: Jon Lackman http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1656&cpage=1#comment-138531 Jon Lackman Thu, 27 May 2010 15:46:00 +0000 http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1656#comment-138531 I wonder if Botticelli or other artists of the period had some first-hand knowledge of the substance. There was an excellent book published a few years back, "The Road of Excess: A History of Writers on Drugs," but I know of no similar volume for artists. I wonder if Botticelli or other artists of the period had some first-hand knowledge of the substance. There was an excellent book published a few years back, “The Road of Excess: A History of Writers on Drugs,” but I know of no similar volume for artists.

]]> By: Kathy http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1656&cpage=1#comment-138528 Kathy Thu, 27 May 2010 10:56:49 +0000 http://arthistorynewsletter.com/blog/?p=1656#comment-138528 Same vein as Caravaggio's Bacchus offering wine. Same vein as Caravaggio’s Bacchus offering wine.

]]>