At the age of 14, Botticelli began an apprenticeship from his brother Antonio to become a goldsmith. However, his interest in the arts, as well as his undeniable talent, allowed him to serve as an apprentice of Fra Filippo Lippi. Most of his early works were done under the instruction and guidance of Lippi, but eventually Botticelli was able to discover his own style. The artist favored religious themes over anything, but sometimes his subjects were random people whose faces caught his eye. Botticelli adopted a naturalistic style that made his paintings appear like scenes from real life. Most of his paintings reflect panoramas instead of pictures; scenes as opposed to subjects. The Calumny of Apelles is a good example. From the facial expressions of the people in the painting to the carved design of the pillars behind them, this painting?s was constructed with intricate elements and one can see the careful attention that Botticelli paid to each detail. Though incredibly elaborate in terms of craftsmanship, the paintings do not stand out in a spectacular way. This is because the main theme of his works revolves around religious scenes, and these are quite common. For his one-person portraits where a single subject is the focus, there is neither anger nor atrocity in their eyes. They are not happy or sad, their eyes simply reflecting one of the many fleeting moments in their lives, captured with Botticelli?s strokes. One can sense the dramatic background stories behind the Portrait of a Young Man and Portrait of a Young Woman. There appears to be a profound meaning with each and every one of Botticelli?s creations. Botticelli?s personal life was quite uneventful, his views on marriage hindering him from living a complete life of love and happiness. The great artist regarded marriage with hostility and was even rumored to have terrifying nightmares about it. However, it was clear to everyone around him that he was deeply and madly in love with a married woman named Simonetta Vespucci. There is a revolving tale that she was Botticelli?s model for his most celebrated work, The Birth of Venus. Upon the artist?s death in 1510, he requested to be buried on the foot of Vespucci?s corpse, and his wish was granted.