The Renaissance spirit
Apart from Botticelli's paintings, the exhibition also showcases masterpieces by his teacher, Filippo Lippi, his companions and his school. These works offer a deeper understanding of Botticelli's artistic development and reveal the diversity and richness of his oeuvre, says Schmidt. One of the most important pieces on show is Pallas and the Centaur, a mythological painting commissioned by the Medici family, which governed Florence and Tuscany for four centuries.
The painting shows Pallas Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, dragging a centaur by its hair. As the centaur is a mythical creature that is a combination of man and beast, this work is understood as an allegory to the victory of virtue against a wild and beast-like temperament.
Measuring 207 centimeters in height, this work is the largest Botticelli piece in the collection of the Uffizi Galleries that is allowed to tour internationally, according to Zheng Ciying, an official guide at the exhibition.
