The homage of the Magi to the newly born Saviour is set against a backdrop dominated by the ruins of an ancient building, with the stable where Jesus was born in the middle. The decorative friezes on the portico are inspired by ancient Roman art, which Domenico Ghirlandaio was able to admire on his travels to Rome where, among other things, he worked on the decorations of the Sistine Chapel in St Peter’s Basilica.
The Virgin and Child are the focus of the composition with the Wise Men are kneeling before them. The crowd is arranged in a wide semi-circle, echoing the circular shape of the panel, characteristic of a type of painting created for private worship and destined for the homes of the most wealthy, often on occasion of marriages of birth.
As in murals, even the smaller size of paintings on panel, Ghirlandaio maintains his capacity to orchestrate complex crowd scenes, with many details and costumes, numerous portraits and natural pieces depicted with extraordinary verisimilitude, thanks to the lesson learned from Flemish painting.
Details
- Designer: Jennifer Toombs
- Printer: John Waddington of Kirkstall Ltd, Leeds, England
- Process: Lithography
- Paper:
- Watermark: Multiple Crown CA Diagonal
- Perf: 13 (comb)
- Cylinders:
- Sheet:
Sheet Numbers
