Botticelli participated in the artistic revival of Platonism in sixteenth century ltatly, together with his famous contemporaries: Lorenzo de Medici, Pico della Mirandola, Poliziano, and Ficino. The Primavera depicts nine figures in a garden. The central figure is Venus, the goddess of love. She is flanked on both sides by a triad. The hands of Pleasure and Beauty are raised and joined over the central Grace, Chastity, the neophyte, initiated into the mysteries of love Cupid's arrow is pointed directly at her by the ministrations of Pleasure and Beauty.
This triad shows a concordia discors. Chastity is being, enraptured by Cupid's arrow; she unites the opposites: her robe reveals naked flesh on the side of Pleasure, whereas her long flowing hair covers and protects on the side of Beauty. The whole group of Graces shows the Beauty of Desire which is Love 2.
The central figure, the earth-nymph Chloris, pursued by the wind of spring, Zephyr, is transformed into Flora, the herald of spring Botticelli takes his inspiration from Ovid's Fasti: "Chloris eram quae Flora vocor " I once was Chloris who am now called Flora. As in the triad of the three Graces, here the neophyte is transformed, enraptured by love. The remaining, figure of the painting is Mercury-Hermes.
His staff and gaze are directed upward since he is the divine mystagogue, the voice of Hermetic knowledge, psychopomp, the leader of souls: here the three Graces. Mercury looks away from this world towards the Beyond; he contemplates the divine world of Ideas.
Botticelli has the grace Chastity look in the direction of Mercury since enflamed by Love's arrow, she aspires to transcendent, divine love.
