Adoration of the Magi (Gentile da Fabriano)
Gentile da Fabriano · 1423
The story
The Adoration of the Magi is a painting by the Italian painter Gentile da Fabriano. The work, housed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence is considered his finest work and has been described as the culminating work of the International Gothic style.
The artwork was commissioned by the wealthy banker Palla Strozzi. The use of vibrant colors creates a brilliant and imposing effect. Techniques such as lighting, depth, and three-dimensionality are prevalent in the work and were novel for the time. Expensive materials such as gold leaf and jewels are incised in the painting to showcase the patron's wealth.
Other elements of the altarpiece draw upon European conceptions and imagery about the Orient, such as exotic animals, the designs of the three Magis's luxurious clothing and Pseudo-Kufic text.
The gold-leafed frame contains intricate Gothic ornamental architectural designs.
- Artist
- Gentile da Fabriano
- Date
- 1423
- Collection
- Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy
- Movement
- International Gothic
- Medium
- tempera, panel
- Size
- 301.5 × 283 cm
Story adapted from the Wikipedia article and its contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.
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