Although Respighi is best known for his glittering, even garish, suites of tone poems for large orchestra, many feel that some of his best work may be found in his more restrained and modestly scaled efforts. One such example is the Three Botticelli Pictures (1927) for chamber orchestra, a three-movement suite based on famous paintings by the Renaissance master Botticelli. Despite the work's economical scoring, it is fully as colorful and beguiling as the fulsome and flashy Pines of Rome (1924) or Fountains of Rome (1916).

Commissioned by the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation and premiered in Vienna in 1927, the Pictures demonstrate not only Respighi's ear for fresh and beautiful sonorities, but also his interest in the history of art in his native Italy. "La Primavera" (Spring) unfolds as a pastorale, with rustlings of nature, bird songs, and "antique" dance rhythms. "L'adorazione dei Magi" (Adoration of the Magi) evokes a mood of medieval devotion through its employment of old church modes and Gregorian chant-influenced melodies. The brilliant finale, "La nascita de Venere" (Birth of Venus), is an aural impression of the famous painting of the goddess borne upon a giant oyster shell. Skirling figures and bright sonorities suggest the play of waves, providing a backdrop for Venus' sensuous melody.

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