Adoration of the Magi of 1475 (Botticelli)

Adoration of the Magi

Artist	Sandro Botticelli
Year	c. 1475–1476
Type	Tempera on panel
Dimensions	111 cm × 134 cm (44 in × 53 in)
Location	Uffizi, Florence

The Adoration of the Magi is a painting by the Italian Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli, dating from 1475 or 1476. It is housed in the Uffizi of Florence. Botticelli was commissioned to paint at least seven versions of The Adoration of the Magi.^[1]

History

While historians initially thought that the painting was offered by Lorenzo de' Medici as an alter-piece to the church of Santa Maria Novella, art historian Herbert Horne discovered the true history of her ownership.^[2]^:57

A record in the Laurentian Library proves that the picture was originally painted by Botticelli for a merchant of the Lami family. This record indicates Botticelli's original client as Gaspare di Zanobi del Lama, the son of a chemist and barber.^[3] While he might have been of humble origins, Gaspare amassed considerable wealth as a banker and owned lands and woods in the neighbourhood of Florence. The fact that Gaspare bore the name of one of the Three Kings may have prompted him to choose Adoration of the Magi as the scene to be painted, a theme already quite popular in the Renaissance Florence.

Commissioned for Gaspare's chapel at the church of Santa Maria Novella, it was removed in 1570 together with the Lami altar in order to accommodate certain alterations to the church by Grand Duke Cosimo's orders. ^[2]^:57

Botticelli's altar-piece was subsequently sold to don Fabio de Arrazola, the Marquess of Mondragone, and carried off to Palazzo Mondragone. ^[2]^:58 This Spaniard was chamberlain to Cosimo, and tutor and close friend of Francesco. Five years after Arrazola bought the altar-piece, however, the Marquess fell into disgrace and was accused of revealing secrets of State to Philip II. He himself received notice to quit Florence, and his splendid palace, with all its contents, was hastily sold.

Whether Grand Duke Francesco actually bought, or rather confiscated Botticelli's altar-piece from Arrazola remains uncertain. From 1576 onwards the picture remained at the Villa del Poggio Imperiale, until it was removed to the Uffizi in 1796 where it still displayed today.^[4]

Content

In the scene numerous characters are present, among which are several members of the Medici family: Cosimo de' Medici (the Magus kneeling in front of the Virgin, described by Vasari as "the finest of all that are now extant for its life and vigour"), his sons Piero (the second Magus kneeling in the centre with the red mantle) and Giovanni (the third Magus), and his grandsons Giuliano and Lorenzo. The three Medici portrayed as Magi were all dead at the time the picture was painted, and Florence was effectively ruled by Lorenzo.

Whether Botticelli's intimate relations wit the Medici brothers allowed the wealthy Gaspare to introduce the portraits of their kinsmen in his altar-piece, or whether Gaspare was glad of this opportunity to pay a graceful compliment to these powerful personages is hard to tell; but it is plain, from the pains which the painter bestowed on these figures, that this formed an important part of the task.

Also Gaspare himself is said to be included in the painting, as the old man on the right with white hair and a alight blue robe looking and pointing at the observer. Furthermore, also Botticelli is alleged to have made a self-portrait as the blond man with yellow mantle on the far right.

Style

In his Lives Vasari describes the Adoration in the following way:

"The beauty of the heads in this scene is indescribable, their attitudes all different, some full-face, some in profile, some three-quarters, some bent down, and in various other ways, while the expressions of the attendants, both young and old, are greatly varied, displaying the artist's perfect mastery of his profession. Sandro further clearly shows the distinction between the suites of each of the kings. It is a marvellous work in colour, design and composition."

The attention to details, such as the garments rendering, show the acquisition by the Florentine artist of the influences from the Flemish school at this point of his career.

References

↑ "Adoration of the Magi". Mountain West Digital Library. Utah Academic Library Consortium. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
1 2 3 Julia Cartwright, The Life and Art of Sandro Botticelli, London, Duckworth & Co., 1904
↑ Codex Baldovinetti, p.124, quoted in J.Mesnil, Miscellanea d'Arte, Vol.I, Florence, 1903, p.96
↑ C. Montrésor, Botticelli: art courses, ATS Italia Editrice, 2010, p.14

Bibliography

Zöllner, Frank (2005). Sandro Botticelli. Prestel-Verlag. ISBN 3791332732.
Page at artonline.it (Italian)

Botticelli

Works	Madonna and Child with an Angel Madonna and Child with an Angel Madonna della Loggia The Virgin and Child with Two Angels and the Young St. John the Baptist The Annunciation The Virgin and Child, St. John and an Angel Madonna and Child Adoration of the Magi Portrait of a Young Man Madonna in Glory with Seraphim Madonna of the Sea Madonna of the Rosegarden (Madonna del Roseto) Madonna and Child and Two Angels Portrait of Smeralda Brandini Fortitude Madonna and Child with Six Saints (Sant'Ambrogio Altarpiece) Virgin and Child with an Angel The Return of Judith to Bethulia The Discovery of the Murder of Holofernes Adoration of the Magi Portrait of a Young Woman Adoration of the Magi St. Sebastian Portrait of a Man with a Medal of Cosimo the Elder Portrait of Giuliano de' Medici Madonna and Child Catherine of Alexandria Nativity Portrait of Giuliano de' Medici The Birth of Christ Madonna and Child with Eight Angels St. Augustine Madonna of the Magnificat (Madonna del Magnificat) Madonna of the Book (Madonna del Libro) Portrait of a Young Woman Portrait of a Young Woman Annunciation St. Sixtus II Adoration of the Magi Primavera Pallas and the Centaur Venus and Mars Portrait of a Young Man Portrait of a Young Man The Story of Nastagio degli Onesti Venus and the Three Graces Presenting Gifts to a Young Woman A Young Man Being Introduced to the Seven Liberal Arts The Virgin and Child Enthroned (Bardi Altarpiece) The Birth of Venus Annunciation Madonna Adoring the Child with Five Angels Madonna of the Pomegranate (Madonna della Melagrana) The Virgin and Child with Four Angels and Six Saints (Pala di San Barnaba) Vision of St. Augustine Christ in the Sepulchre Salome with the Head of St. John the Baptist Extraction of St. Ignatius' Heart Cestello Annunciation The Virgin Adoring the Child Lamentation over the Dead Christ Portrait of a Man San Marco Altarpiece St. Augustine in His Cell Madonna and Child and the Young St John the Baptist Portrait of Lorenzo di Ser Piero Lorenzi Virgin and Child with the Infant St. John the Baptist Holy Trinity (Pala delle Convertite) The Virgin and Child with Three Angels (Madonna del Padiglione) Calumny of Apelles Lamentation over the Dead Christ with Saints Last Communion of St. Jerome Portrait of Dante The Story of Virginia The Story of Lucretia Crucifixion Christ Crowned with Thorns Transfiguration, St Jerome, St Augustine Judith Leaving the Tent of Holofernes Agony in the Garden The Mystical Nativity Baptism of St. Zenobius and His Appointment as Bishop Three Miracles of St. Zenobius Three Miracles of St. Zenobius Last Miracle and the Death of St. Zenobius

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