Dr. Peter Paul Rubens

Madonna of the Magnificat, 1483. Truly splendid in every way. By Sandro Botticelli, whose birthday was today.

2/2 Please help Smerelda Bandinelli escape this small narrow room in which she is trapped. By Sandro Botticelli, captor, born OTD in 1445.

Giuliano de Medici, looking very cool & confident (not to say arrogant) in 1478. As painted by Sandro Botticelli, whose day is today.

2/2 Judith and Abra, strolling about the countryside with Holofernes' head. Assume blood is running down Abra's back But she is stoic, as Botticelli assures us.

Women messing with men's heads du jour: Discovery of the body of Holofernes. Missing its head! By Botticelli, whose day is today, in 1470.

2/2 Saint Augustine, writing away in a slightly untidy but perspectivally perfect study, designed for him by Sandro Botticelli.

Fortitude. Because you know you need it! By Sandro Botticelli, whose day is today, in 1470.

2/2 Rushing in from left: Gabriel. Waiting patiently at right: Mary. Holding it all together: fantastic perspectival architecture devised by Sandro Botticelli.

Is it possible for grace to be excessive? Botticelli really testing that in this Annunciation from 1490. Plus check out little Christ-in-tomb w/ sudarium on lower frame.

2/2 It's Zephyr again! With a friend. Blowing Venus to the shore, by Botticelli.

Venus, born from the waves, 1486. By Sandro Botticelli, who himself was born (not from the waves) on this day in 1445.

One of the Horae, or Hours, rushes in to cloak Venus (although Venus's nudity was too perfect for Botticelli to actually disturb it with drapery!). Full painting, which Bluesky will label sexually suggestive, coming up next…

2/2 Looking right at you from the 1480s, a young man painted by Sandro Botticelli.

A man with his Medici medal, & subtle red ring to match his hat, painted by Sandro Botticelli. Born on this day in 1445.

3/3 Primavera herself, scattering flowers before her; her flower-making doppelganger Flora follows, blown in by Zephyr, the winds of March.

2/2 Three graces, passing benefits from one to the next in the midst of Botticelli's Spring, c, 1480.

Born (possibly) on this day in 1445, in Florence, the great Sandro Botticelli. Starting off his day with his Primavera, because don't we all wish spring would arrive?

Quite the merry company here (w their dogs). But is sleeping old woman their chaperone, or procuress? How innocent is all this fun? From Jan Verkolje, whose day was today.

2/2 He has definite sense of where this music lesson should lead. Dog: egging him on (bad dog!) She: not so sure. By Jan Verkolje.

He: Make a little music with me, sweetheart? She: I need to go and wash my hair. The eternal scene, by Jan Verkolje of Amsterdam & Delft, whose day is today.

2/2 Johan de la Faille in his incredibly fab hunt-themed, putti-filled frame, accompanied by his dog plus ever-present faire-valoir fellow. Painted by Jan Verkolje.

Margaretha de la Faille enframed by scads of gold putti, painted in 1674 by Jan Verkolje (born this day 1650).

2/2 What terrible news has the dashing trumpeter brought to the lady of the house? Jan Verkolje leaves it to your imagination.

Breathless messenger has arrived: what is in his note? Dog emerges from under table to hear the news. A little drama from 1674 by Jan Verkolje, born OTD in 1650.

2/2 Has dog. But needs a good book! Another woman portrayed by Jan Verkolje.

Petronella Boogaart has been reading a VERY good book and wants to immortalize its pleasure in her portrait. What a wonderful idea! And Jan Verkolje obliges, in 1679.

2/2 Now older: more successful, more wealthy, more hair. Jan Verkolje, by himself.

Born on this day (or yesterday) in 1650, in Amsterdam, Jan Verkolje. Painter of portraits & scenes of elegant life. Here portrayed by his son Nicolaas.

Woman in profile, 1654. Another really marvelous painting by Carel Fabritius, born OTD 1622. You have to wonder what else was in his studio when it blew up (literally) later that year!

Michael Jackson? No, an unknown 17th-century Dutch fellow painted by Barent Fabritius, brother of Carel whose day is today.