F25-08 - The Masterpieces of Sandro Botticelli
Class | Registration opens 9/2/2025 9:00 AM
The Birth of Venus and La Primavera are, year after year, among the most visited paintings in the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Italy. They are also considered two of the most stunning and enigmatic paintings ever created. To understand their importance we will discuss Sandro Botticelli’s relationship with the Medici’s (the most powerful family and art patrons in all of Florence), the overarching influence of the Catholic church, and finally, the fierce monk, Savonarola, and his infamous Bonfires of the Vanities. Several other works of art by Botticelli, as well the lesser known,
but equally dazzling fresco, The Procession of the Magi, by Benozzo Gozzoli, will also be discussed.
Irene Sommers
Professor Sommers holds an MA in Art History from Wesleyan University in Connecticut and has taught art history for over 15 years. Prior to her academic career she was Manager of Public Policy for Bayer Pharmaceuticals and an Administrative Editor for The New York Times Magazine Group. She has led several student tours to museums around the world, specializing in France and Italy. Professor Sommers is also in the process of writing a book on the issue of who owns the world's art. Is it the art work's nation of origin or the more easily accessible world-class museums who currently hold the majority of world's great masterpieces?