From Medicis to Mythologies: How Sandro Botticelli Became One of History’s Most Influential Artists

It’s possible that Western art history wouldn’t have been the same without Sandro Botticelli. With members of the influential Medici family as his top patrons, Botticelli received many high-profile commissions, some of which are considered the Renaissance movement’s best achievements. Throughout the latter half of the 15th century, he produced secular portraits of Florentine elite, as well as religious and mythological scenes that defined a new era of artistic achievement.