Sandro Botticelli (1445 — 1510) was one of the greatest painters of the Florentine Renaissance. His Birth of Venus and Primavera are often said to epitomize for modern viewers the spirit of the Renaissance. Botticelli's reputation suffered posthumously until the late 19th century, when he was rediscovered by the Pre-Raphaelites who stimulated a reappraisal of his work.  Since then, his paintings have been seen to represent the linear grace of Early Renaissance painting.