Botticelli was a practical joker- so says Vasari, the 16th century art historian, writing 50 years after the artist's death. He was also an artist whose works represent nowadays the ultimate in beauty and grace. His real name was Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi (1444/5 - 1510), but he is better known as Sandro Botticelli. The above painting is considered to be one of his first independent works, executed in the early 1480s when he was still under the tutelage of Fra Filippo Lippi. Sandro showed his independence in choosing to paint a full length virgin Mary. The tenderness he had assimilated from Brother Lippi stayed with him to the end of his life. The vibrant colours are his own. Botticelli's expertise as draughtsman is apparent throughout his work; his early training was in a goldsmith's workshop where he developed his flowing linear style. The exhibition points out how influential Sandro Botticelli was in his day- an artist later eclipsed by such talents as Leonardo, R...