Botticelli Re-Imagined

‘Botticelli Reimagined’ explores in over 150 works how one painter, Sandro Botticelli, has influenced how artists and designers have reinterpreted the iconic ‘Birth of Venus’ in painting, fashion, film, drawing, photography, tapestry, sculpture and print over the last 500 years. The exhibition explores the enduring impact of the Florentine painter from the Pre-Raphaelites to present day.

With over 50 original works by Botticelli, alongside works by artists such as Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Morris, René Magritte, Elsa Schiaparelli, Andy Warhol and David La Chapelle. “Botticelli Reimagined” is divided into three major sections: “Global, Modern, Contemporary”; “Rediscovery” and “Botticelli in his Own Time”.

Being a graphic designer I was immediately drawn to the Contemporary section of the exhibition. With its colourful graphic paintings and illustrations by artists such as Andy Warhol and Tomoko Nagao, to the overly saturated intense photographs by David La Chapelle and the fashion designs of Dolce & Gabbana.

This exhibition was stimulating on so many levels and would appeal to a large range of people due to the many different style of design on show. I would highly recommend that you try and get to see it!

Credits
Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli 1484–1486
Botticelli – The Birth of Venus with Baci, Esselunga, Barilla, PSP and Easyjet, 2012 by Tomoko Nagao (2014) © Tomoko Nagao
Details of Renaissance Paintings (Sandro Botticelli, Birth of Venus 1482) by Andy Warhol (1984) ©Andy Wahol
Rebirth of Venus by David LaChapelle (2009) © David LaChapelle.

The exhibition runs from 5 March – 3 July 2016, at the V&A Museum, London