Every artist needs his muse. Looking at Sandro Botticelli’s (circa 1445–1510) most iconic masterpiece, “The Birth of Venus” (1485), it’s easy to imagine the painter choosing the scene and subject matter to suit his muse and not the reverse.
His muse’s name was Simonetta Cattaneo Vespucci (circa 1453–1476), and she appears in many of his most significant works. What can’t be seen in all the details of the painting was the depth of Botticelli’s devotion to her. He chose her for his “Portrait of a Young Woman” painting nearly 10 years after her premature death from tuberculosis.
