Study for ‘Portrait of a Lady (Simonetta Vespucci)’ (c. 1480) Photo: Ashmolean MuseumSan FranciscoIn the popular imagination, Sandro Botticelli (c. 1445-1510) is associated with ethereal nymphs, idealized nudes, and blond beauties, thanks largely to the ubiquity of his most famous paintings, “Primavera” and “Birth of Venus.” But as a stunning new show at San Francisco’s Legion of Honor museum establishes, he is a more complex, intellectual, conflicted and varied artist than superficial familiarity might suggest.

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Persons: Simonetta Vespucci, ’, Sandro Botticelli, “ Organizations: Ashmolean Museum San Francisco, “ Primavera, Francisco’s Legion