[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:13.91,0:00:16.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Around 1469, a wealthy money changer commissioned
Dialogue: 0,0:00:16.68,0:00:18.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a young painter named Sandro Botticelli
Dialogue: 0,0:00:18.55,0:00:19.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to paint an altar piece.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:19.88,0:00:21.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Botticelli would, of course, become known
Dialogue: 0,0:00:21.38,0:00:23.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as one of the greatest painters of the High Renaissance,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:23.56,0:00:25.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,producing works like "La Primavera"
Dialogue: 0,0:00:25.18,0:00:26.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and "The Birth of Venus."
Dialogue: 0,0:00:26.61,0:00:30.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But, in 1469, he had not yet earned this reputation.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:30.39,0:00:32.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The scene this young artist set out to paint was well-known:
Dialogue: 0,0:00:32.99,0:00:34.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Three Wise Men, or Magi,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:34.82,0:00:37.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,arriving at the birth place of Jesus Christ.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:37.27,0:00:39.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Botticelli would aspire to take this common theme
Dialogue: 0,0:00:39.48,0:00:41.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and produce an entirely original work,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:41.66,0:00:42.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,while asserting himself
Dialogue: 0,0:00:42.58,0:00:45.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,among the most important citizens of Florence.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:45.20,0:00:47.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Many earlier paintings illustrate the Magi
Dialogue: 0,0:00:47.29,0:00:49.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,arriving at a stable, stately manger,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:49.41,0:00:50.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,fitting for the son of God.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:50.94,0:00:52.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The young Botticelli, however, chose
Dialogue: 0,0:00:52.75,0:00:55.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to place the scene in the dilapidated Roman ruin.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:55.67,0:00:56.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,At the center of this structure,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:56.92,0:00:58.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,he placed a sturdy rock for Mary and Jesus
Dialogue: 0,0:00:58.92,0:01:00.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to sit high above their visitors.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.76,0:01:02.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,With this decision, Botticelli seemed to say
Dialogue: 0,0:01:02.90,0:01:05.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Christianity will be built on sturdier stuff than Rome.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:05.79,0:01:07.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Botticelli then populated the space
Dialogue: 0,0:01:07.76,0:01:09.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with important men from his city.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:09.39,0:01:10.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,On the right side, he paints the man
Dialogue: 0,0:01:10.61,0:01:12.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who paid for this work, Gaspare del Lama,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:12.92,0:01:14.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,looking out at the viewer
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.04,0:01:15.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and confidently pointing at himself
Dialogue: 0,0:01:15.56,0:01:16.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so that there is no question
Dialogue: 0,0:01:16.60,0:01:18.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who is responsible for this masterpiece.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:18.70,0:01:20.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Though born the son of a barber,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:20.26,0:01:22.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,del Lama amassed a good sum of money
Dialogue: 0,0:01:22.07,0:01:24.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,through currency exchange in his lifetime.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:24.33,0:01:26.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He earned enough money to buy a burial chapel
Dialogue: 0,0:01:26.16,0:01:28.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and decorate it with a pretty painting.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:28.20,0:01:30.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The Three Wise Men appear at the center of this painting,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:30.42,0:01:31.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,kneeling to Mary and Jesus.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:31.92,0:01:33.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As models for these important figures,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:33.63,0:01:36.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Botticelli used members of the important Medici family.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:36.83,0:01:38.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Del Lama's career as a money changer
Dialogue: 0,0:01:38.41,0:01:39.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,would not have been possible
Dialogue: 0,0:01:39.51,0:01:41.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,without the help of the powerful Medici family,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:41.35,0:01:43.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in particular Cosimo de' Medici,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:43.34,0:01:45.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who appears prominently at Mary's feet.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:45.39,0:01:47.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The other wise men can be identified
Dialogue: 0,0:01:47.01,0:01:49.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as Piero and Giovanni de' Medici,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:49.14,0:01:50.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Cosimo's two sons.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:50.65,0:01:51.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The business of money exchange
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.94,0:01:54.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,had dubious ethical and legal associations,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:54.60,0:01:57.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so the friendship of this powerful family was important.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:57.19,0:01:59.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the young heir to Medici power, Lorenzo,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:59.44,0:02:02.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,could not be omitted from this painting's composition.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:02.24,0:02:04.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He appears to the left of the manger.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:04.30,0:02:05.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This painting seems to say
Dialogue: 0,0:02:05.98,0:02:08.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Medici legacy, with its many healthy heirs,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:08.31,0:02:10.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,will be built on sturdier stuff than Rome.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:10.98,0:02:12.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Botticelli then filled the rest of the space
Dialogue: 0,0:02:12.65,0:02:15.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with other friends and powerful figures from Florence.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:15.15,0:02:16.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And, among the Florentine elite,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:16.68,0:02:18.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the young, confident artist painted himself
Dialogue: 0,0:02:18.73,0:02:20.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,looking directly at the viewer.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:20.53,0:02:22.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Botticelli's presence in this painting
Dialogue: 0,0:02:22.20,0:02:24.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,illustrates a radical shift in the perception
Dialogue: 0,0:02:24.03,0:02:26.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of artists during this time period.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:26.10,0:02:27.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Botticelli did not view himself
Dialogue: 0,0:02:27.77,0:02:30.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as a common craftsman hired for a simple job.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:30.18,0:02:31.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He viewed himself as a friend
Dialogue: 0,0:02:31.42,0:02:33.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to the powerful families of Florence.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:33.70,0:02:35.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Paintings like "The Adoration of the Magi"
Dialogue: 0,0:02:35.63,0:02:38.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,reveal much more than a simple retelling of a biblical story.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:38.60,0:02:40.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They can tell the story of, among other things,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:40.88,0:02:42.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a modestly-born money changer
Dialogue: 0,0:02:42.63,0:02:44.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,attempting to spend his money virtuously
Dialogue: 0,0:02:44.55,0:02:46.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by making a local chapel more beautiful,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:46.90,0:02:48.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or the story of an ambitious young painter,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:48.72,0:02:50.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,elevating the reputation of his craft
Dialogue: 0,0:02:50.35,0:02:53.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to stand among the wealthy elite of his city.