Chapter 3 #4
“And your King Henry believed he was somehow linked to this King Arthur?”
“The subject is symbolic,” Sebastian began.
“Matteo worked in the workshops of Botticelli, so he would have had a rich understanding of metaphor. When Botticelli wished to depict the enlightenment of the Renaissance, he chose to paint Spring as a celebration of rebirth, knowledge, and beauty. At the center stands Venus, the goddess of love and harmony, but he was a religious man who did not believe in Roman gods, so she represented not mere romantic love, but the elevation of the soul through reason and beauty which are hallmarks of Renaissance ideals.” Pausing, Sebastian allowed a smile to form at the edge of his mouth as he recalled the beauty of the piece.
“It is a scene rich in allegory. Botticelli did not simply paint springtime. He painted the awakening of man’s spirit, the harmonious blending of earthly pleasures with intellectual pursuits.
La Primavera is not only a tribute to nature’s renewal but to the rebirth of thought, art, and philosophy that defined the Renaissance.
Which, to my mind, means that Matteo’s choice of Arthurian mythology had little to do with his message, if there was any message at all and he was not just pursuing a whimsy. ”
Lorenzo straightened in protest, his face setting into the stubborn lines he was renowned for.
“There is a message,” he insisted, his voice taut with conviction. “You always dismiss this too easily, Sebastian. But you forget, Matteo worked with Da Vinci after Botticelli closed his workshop. And Da Vinci was consumed by secrets.”
Sebastian studied Lorenzo with a faint smile.
“Ah, yes. The ever-elusive Da Vinci. Genius, certainly, but prone to seeing mysteries where none were intended.”
“You underestimate him. Da Vinci hid knowledge, scientific, political, personal, because he understood its power. You really think Matteo spent time in Da Vinci’s workshop without learning how to bury meaning beneath the obvious?”
“He learned symbolism from Botticelli,” Sebastian replied steadily. “Take La Primavera. A painting steeped in allegory, representing enlightenment and humanist ideals. Matteo would have understood the art of metaphor well enough. But that does not mean that this painting hides some grand secret.”
Lorenzo gave a sharp laugh, without mirth.
“But this is not Florence, Sebastian. It is England. And Matteo painted it after his time with Da Vinci. After he came here, of all places, with this British society as his patrons.” He leaned forward, eyes alight with the familiar intensity that had carried them both across half of Europe.
“England, under Henry VIII. A king consumed with Arthurian legend. Henry believed he was Arthur reborn, the destined ruler to unite Britain and restore a golden age. The Winchester Round Table, repainted with Henry’s own face at its head.
Everything Henry did reeked of Arthurian symbolism. ”
“Coincidence,” Sebastian said, but his tone lacked its usual certainty.
"Arthurian legend, secrecy, Da Vinci's influence. Do you truly believe Matteo would paint something here without purpose?" He came to England for a reason. And that reason is tied to Henry’s obsession. This painting references Arthur, which must mean the Regis Aeterni was linked to your monarch. Perhaps they even instigated or encouraged his obsession so he would ascend to religious leader of England. You know it.”
Sebastian cast his gaze back at the pile of books, his brow creasing.
“And you truly believe Matteo buried a clue?”
“I think he wrote to his sister, and mentioned that painting as a signal. This secret society, Regis Aeterni, brought him to England, for whom he painted across decades yet he left not a single known work of art until you found your painting in the attic of your ducal home. Matteo wrote of the painting and the duke to point the way to his body of work, and when we finally find that body of work, we will claim Matteo’s rightful place in history as one of the greatest artists to ever live! ”
Sebastian regarded the fierce nature of his friend with quiet admiration. He did not know what they would find when they finally retrieved the painting, but he hoped that one way or the other, finding it would bring peace to Lorenzo and his family who had pursued this mystery for three centuries.
The painting in question had stirred him, made him feel things that no other art had done until he had reached Florence and beheld the work of Botticelli, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and the other Masters.
If he had not witnessed the splendor of Matteo’s work firsthand, he might have discouraged Lorenzo from his crusade with more persistence.
However, having seen the delicate brushstrokes himself, Sebastian knew it could be argued that Matteo was indeed fitting company for the most talented artists to have walked the earth.
He owed it to his friend to help solve the mystery of Matteo’s long ago journey to England and his subsequent disappearance.