Adoration of the Magi (Fra Angelico and Filippo Lippi)

Fra Angelico and Fra Filippo Lippi, Adoration of the Magi, c. 1440/1460.

The Adoration of the Magi is a round painting believed to be made by Fra Angelico in the middle of the 15th century. It is now in the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. Many experts think Filippo Lippi also helped with it, along with other artists and helpers. The painting is also called the Washington Tondo or Cook Tondo. It is made with tempera on wood and is about 137.3 cm across.[1][2]

Art experts say the painting took a long time to make, with many changes done by different artists. Some people do not like these changes, but others, like John Walker, think it's one of the best Florentine paintings. He believes it shows the shift between old and new painting styles in Italy during the 15th century.[3][4]

History

The painting is thought to be the same one listed in a list of things in the Medici Palace in 1492, after Lorenzo the Magnificent died. It was kept in a big room with Paolo Uccello's famous Battle of San Romano paintings. This painting was worth more than any other in the palace.[5][6]

From the late 16th century, it was owned by the Guicciardini family in Florence. In 1810, it was sold to Chevalier François-Honoré Dubois, the chief of police in Florence during the time of Napoleon. It changed owners a few times and was believed to be painted by different artists like Botticelli, Fra Angelico, and Filippino Lippi.[7]

During World War II, it was sent to the United States from England to keep it safe from bombs. It was later given to the National Gallery of Art in 1952.[1]

Painting

The painting shows three wise men giving presents to baby Jesus, who is held by his mother Mary. Saint Joseph is beside them, and there are animals behind them. This is a common picture in many paintings.[8]

Big bird on the top of the stable.

Besides the wise men, there are also shepherds. One is looking at Jesus and Mary, and the others are pointing at them. The stable is outside, and there are animals and people nearby.[9]

In the background, more people are coming to see Jesus. Some are on horses and camels, while others are walking. The city walls of Bethlehem are seen, and some people are watching what's happening.[10]

On the roof of the stable, there is a big bird and some smaller ones. There are also some young people on the ruins, but it's not clear who they are. Some parts of the painting look strange because the sizes of things do not match up correctly. This might be because the artist made changes while painting.[11]

Stages of painting

The painting was probably made in different steps or stages. Fra Angelico and his helpers started it around the 1440s. Angelico's style can be seen in Mary's face, but other parts seem to be done by his helpers. The small figures on the right and left sides of the painting also match Angelico's style.[10]

Detail in the painting around the arch.

Angelico was busy with many projects, so the painting might have been left unfinished when he died in 1455. Then, it might have been given to Filippo Lippi's workshop, another famous painter in Florence.[12]

Some parts of the painting, like the stable and the birds on the roof, seem to be added later. They might have been inspired by symbols used by the Medici family. Benozzo Gozzoli, who worked with Angelico before, might have added these details. He also painted similar scenes in the Medici Palace around the same time.[13]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Adoration of the Magi tondo by Fra Angelico and Filippo Lippi.
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cook, Herbert; Borenius, Tancred; Kronig, J. O.; Brockwell, Maurice W. (1913). A catalogue of the paintings at Doughty House, Richmond, & elsewhere in the collection of Sir Frederick Cook, bt., Visconde de Monserrate. Getty Research Institute. London : W. Heinemann.
  2. ↑ "The National Gallery, London". www.nationalgallery.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  3. ↑ Davies, Martin; Gordon, Dillian; The National Gallery, eds. (2001). The Italian schools before 1400. National Gallery catalogues (Revised ed.). London: National Gallery [u.a.] ISBN 978-1-85709-918-8.
  4. ↑ Vergara, Alexander; Cabrero, Herlinda; Prado, Museo del (2004). Rubens: The Adoration of the Magi. P. Holberton. ISBN 978-1-903470-39-8.
  5. ↑ Kanter, Laurence B.; Palladino, Pia; Scudieri, Magnolia; Angelico (2005). Fra Angelico: in conjunction with the Exhibition "Fra Angelico" held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, October 26, 2005 - January 29, 2006. Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, NY: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 978-1-58839-174-2.
  6. ↑ Carr, Dawson William (1997). Andrea Mantegna: The Adoration of the Magi. Getty Publications. ISBN 978-0-89236-287-5.
  7. ↑ Pearson, Caspar (2015-06-01). "Review: Building the Picture: Architecture in Italian Renaissance Painting". Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians. 74 (2): 268–269. doi:10.1525/jsah.2015.74.2.268. ISSN 0037-9808.
  8. ↑ "Fra Angelico, Fra Filippo Lippi, The Adoration of the Magi, c. 1440/1460". www.nga.gov. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  9. ↑ Stapleford, Richard (2013). Lorenzo de' Medici at home: the inventory of the Palazzo Medici in 1492. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press. ISBN 978-0-271-05641-8.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Angelico, Fra; Lippi, Fra Filippo, The Adoration of the Magi, retrieved 2024-02-12
  11. ↑ "Fra Angelico, Fra Filippo Lippi, The Adoration of the Magi, c. 1440/1460". www.nga.gov. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  12. ↑ Schiller, Gertrud (1971). Iconography of Christian art. 1: Christ's incarnation, childhood, baptism, temptation, transfiguration, works and miracles. London: Lund Humphries. ISBN 978-0-85331-270-3.
  13. ↑ Sale, J. Russell (2007). "Birds of a Feather: The Medici 'Adoration' Tondo in Washington". The Burlington Magazine. 149 (1246): 4–13. ISSN 0007-6287. JSTOR 20074684.