Botticelli’s Art of the Line

An exhibit of drawings, some never before seen, is now at the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco.

"The Devout People of Jerusalem at the Pentecost," circa 1505, by Sandro Botticelli. Black chalk, pen and brown ink, brown wash, highlighted with white gouache on paper; 9 1/8 inches by 14 3/8 inches. (Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt) Courtesy of Wolfgang Fuhrmannek

The Legion of Honor museum in San Francisco is presenting an exhibition of drawings by the renowned Italian Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli, showcasing his exceptional talent as a draughtsman. The show, “Botticelli’s Drawings,” features sketches, studies, and finished drawings by the master.

More than 60 of Botticelli’s works have been gathered from 39 lending institutions as well as private collections worldwide for this groundbreaking exhibit, the most extensive collection of his work ever shown in one museum.