Adorazione Dei Magi - Adoration of the Magi
| Support Type: | Wood Panel |
| Paint Type: | Tempera |
| Current Location: | Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy. |
| Location History: | Completed in 1423, the piece was originally housed in the Strozzi family chapel inside the church of Santa Trinita in Florence. It was transferred to the Accademia in 1806. Thereafter, the masterpiece has resided at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence since 1919. |
Adorazione Dei Magi or Adoration of the Magi is an alterpiece painted on wood with tempera paints by Gentile Da Fabriano. Recognised as one of the greatest masterpieces produced by the artist, this piece records the biblical myth of the three kings coming to pay homage to infant Christ from the far east. This painting is regarded as one of the finest example of the international gothic style paintings popular across Europe during the fourteenth and the fifteenth century. This art movement included aristocratic paintings with decorative and stylistic use of colors and gold. In this painting, Fabriano has remarkably used both these characteristics to his advantage. The central alter-piece depicts the three wise men kneeling and paying reverence to baby Jesus who is sitting on Mary's lap. The surrounding scene includes figures of the holy family, the patron, his father, and the elite entourage of animals and noblemen. One of the most striking characteristics of this painting is the elaborate use of gold. It is not only used for ornaments or halos but also for garments, mundane accessories, and even the eagle's claws in the background. Such use of gold is also to mark the fact that this alter-piece was commissioned by one of the richest bankers in Italy at the time. The three smaller pieces at the bottom also depict three important events in Christianity - the birth of Jesus Christ, the flight to Egypt, and finally Jesus in the temple. Another noteworthy feature of this piece is Fabriano's attention to natural scenery in the background - the rolling hills in the central piece, the star-studded night sky in the bottom first piece, the clouds and the elaborate palace seen on the way to Egypt, and lastly the temple background in the third scene are all immaculate details that the artist has paid great attention to. The artist through this painting has successfully demonstrated his artistic prowess at elaborate story telling with the use of exemplary luxurious materials and fine details.