The most beautiful Madonna ever painted was painted 545 years ago.
And to think Botticelli was almost completely forgotten until the 1850s.
For centuries he was little more than a footnote and by the late 16th century his elegant, linear, almost ethereal style felt old-fashioned.
Then in the mid-19th century, the Pre-Raphaelites Rossetti, Ruskin and others, rediscovered him.
They were captivated by that poetic delicacy and championed him with passion.
That revival changed everything.
His Madonnas, Primavera and Venus, became icons once again.
We really have them to thank for bringing Botticelli back into the light.
Without that rediscovery, we might have lost one of the most enchanting voices of the Renaissance, and a favorite of mine.