Boticelli's Intro to 7 Liberal Arts

Viewing 2 posts - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • August 16, 2011 at 10:28 pm
    crazy4boys
    Participant

    I’m trying to find info on this painting – what are the 7 liberal arts and who represents which one?  So far I have found:

    Grammar – leading him in

    Rhetoric – scroll

    Logic

    Arithmetic – holding hand out

    Geometry – square at her feet

    Astronomy – globe

    Music – holding a portable organ

    But others say these are not right.  There is also debate whether it’s Philosophy leading him or Grammar.  And if it’s Arithmetic holding her hand out or someone else.  Do any of you know or know where I can find out for sure?  And why are there 8 ladies, a guy that looks like a lady (per my boys) and a baby – I thought it was 7 ladies?  Even though certain ladies are supposed to be holding certain things, it’s so hard to tell who has what.  Does anyone know the order, like left to right we find Lady A, Lady B and so on?

    Thanks much.

    August 17, 2011 at 12:28 am
    Rachel White
    Participant

    It’s a young man being presented by Venus to the Seven Liberal Arts:http://www.pbase.com/bmcmorrow/image/47950408

    The young man on the far left w/the long hair, held by the hand by possibly Venus; as she could be the one doing the introducing.

    Here’s the wiki explanation:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Young_Man_Being_Introduced_to_the_Seven_Liberal_Arts_(Botticelli)

    One site thought these things:

    Starting from the upper left:

    • Grammar with the parchment,

    • Astronomy with the crab,

    • Rhetoric is trying to say something.

    The three we see from the back, starting from the lower left:

    • Music with the tambourine,

    • Either Arithmetic or Logic (no signs of the “trade”),

    • Geometry with the angle,

    • The muse standing next to the young man is also either Arithmetic or Logic. I say he probably picked the Logic. The young man needs to go back to school for picking the “logic”…

    Other than that, I don’t know. Seems to be three different interpretations…

    Rachel

Viewing 2 posts - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)
  • The topic ‘Boticelli's Intro to 7 Liberal Arts’ is closed to new replies.