Dinner of Nastagio at Onisti, Episode III, Sandro Botticelli

Description of the picture:

Dinner of Nastagio at Onisti, Episode III – Sandro Botticelli. Around 1483. Wood, tempera. 84×142

   Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) is one of the most sensual masters of the Renaissance. The artist’s paintings are imbued with an exciting thrill of personal experience. He became widely known as the creator of the huge mythological paintings “Spring” and “The Birth of Venus”, full of charm and spirituality.

   The Decameron Series, consisting of 4 works, was created by the painter on the occasion of the marriage of Giannozzo Pucci with Lucretia Bini in one thousand four hundred eighty-three and knows about Nataggio degli Onesti. It may be that it was commissioned by Lorenzo Medici the Beautiful, who was a relative of both families. In any case, specifically, his coat of arms can be built in the center of the third episode, which is practically the culmination of the whole story. The plot for these episodes was taken by the painter from the work “The Decameron” by Barkaccio, in which the story of Nastaggio is told. Botticelli was helped by his students in the work on this series."