Botticelli, one of the greatest painters of the Renaissance, spent almost his whole life in Florence, and many of his greatest, best-known works, such as Primavera and the birth of Venus,  both reproduced here, were commissioned by the Medici family, who then ruled the city state. This volume also reproduces many of his religious works, such as his deeply felt pieta, the adoration of magi and the brilliant Annunciation, one of the best examples of the best examples of polished technique. Botticelli painted many variations on the Madonna theme: several of them are shown in this volume, including one of the most successful, the tondo Madonna of the Magnificat.