Trinity 1491

Sandro Botticelli's painting, titled Trinity, is of unknown date and was made with tempera on wood. The image shows the crucifixion, a key event in the Christian story, and also depicts the Holy Trinity. Botticelli produced this image during the height of the Renaissance in Florence, where the Medici family powerfully influenced the politics of the city and were patrons of the arts. They helped create the artistic and intellectual environment that Botticelli lived and worked in. It was a world in which religious and humanist ideals intermingled. The painting shows how religious institutions promoted theological ideas through art, but its refined aesthetic also reflects the values of the Renaissance. The painting can be understood through an awareness of Renaissance social, cultural and institutional contexts. Accessing the literature of the time helps us to better understand the values and beliefs that influenced its creation. In this way, we can discover the contingent meanings of Renaissance art.