Resumen de Youth and spring in Botticelli's "Primavera"
The writer argues that the figure on the left of Venus in Sandro Botticelli's painting Primavera represents the Roman goddess of youth, as well as the goddess of spring. The ancient Roman goddess of youth was Iuventus. While represented in Roman religion as a deity, youth was also described, in Roman poetry, as the springtime of life, and from the time of Augustus, the title princeps iuventutis was conferred upon members of the imperial house when they came of age. In 1498, Botticelli's Primavera formed part of the collection of paintings in the old Medici palace jointly owned by Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de'Medici, who was born in August 1463 and came of age in August 1481. The writer suggests that the painting may have been commissioned from Botticelli, probably in July of 1481, to celebrate Lorenzo's passage from boyhood to youth.
