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Adoration of the Magi (Filippino Lippi)

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Adoration of the Magi
Inscription on back: Filippus me pinsit de Lipis florentinus addi 29 di marzo 1496
ArtistFilippino Lippi
Year1496
MediumTempera grassa on wood
Dimensions258 cm × 243 cm (102 in × 96 in)
LocationThe Uffizi, Florence
Accession1890 n. 1566
Websitehttps://www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/adoration-of-the-magi-filippino-lippi

Lead

The Adoration of the Magi is a painting by Italian painter Filippino Lippi.[1] The painting is signed (“Filippus me pinsit de Lipis florentinus addi 29 di marzo 1496”) and dated 1496 and is currently currently located in the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence.[1] His father, Filippo Lippi, also created a version of the Adoration of the Magi and the two are artists with similar painting titles, which leads to them often being mistaken for one another.[2] Although a clue to differentiate the two paintings from one another is that the father, Filippo Lippi, includes animals like cows and pelicans.[3]

The painting is set in a country landscape, in front of a stable over which the Star of Bethlehem, that guided the Three Magi, is shining. In the background, there are scenes of their journey, from the sighting of the star to their passage via Herod’s palace.[4] The viewers attention is drawn to the kneeling man on the left, clad in a luxurious, fur-lined yellow robe and holding an astrolabe, symbolizing the Magi's astrological knowledge.[1] This figure is believed to be a portrait of Pier Francesco de’ Medici.[1][4][5]

Patron and commission

Originally, the subject was commissioned by the monks of the monastery of San Donato in Scopeto in Florence, and begun by Leonardo da Vinci in 1481.[4] The Augustinian monks at the church of San Donato in Scopeto wanted Leonardo to paint a panel for the high altar in the church.[4] In 1481, Leonardo abandoned his work on the painting, because he was called to the court of Ludovico Sforza in Milan.[4] Leonardo's abandoned work survives today at the Uffizi, but not in the best shape or form.[4] The Augustinian monks still wanted the painting for their church and they waited for Leonardo's return.[4] Eventually they decided to find another artist to do the job, and chose Filippino Lippi.[1][4] This is not the first time that Leonardo and Filippino exchanged works.[1] For example, in the 1480's Leonardo had to give over the designing of the altarpiece for the Palazzo della Signoria to Filippino Lippi, who completed the artwork in 1486.[1][6] The reason for Leonardo's abandonment of the Signoria altarpiece remains unclear. Later on in 1505 Leonardo abandoned another artwork, a wall painting of the Battle of Anghiari, in the Palazzo della Signoria, where the Gonfaloniere of Justice, Piero Soderini, claims that Leonardo may have been sent to Milan by the request of Charles d'Amboise and King Louis XII.[7] Although it is unclear why Leonardo abandoned the commission of the Adoration of the Magi, it would be reasonable to assume that he had been called away to another job, resulting in him abandoning his work in the palazzo.[8][7] Based off their prior interactions, Leonardo instructed his father to give drafts of the Adoration to Filippino.[8] Filippino Lippi started working on the painting soon after receiving the commission to paint the Adoration of the Magi.[1] He is believed to have received the commission in the early 1494, but began painting in November.[9]



Description and subject

Fig 1:Yellow robe- Pierfrancesco de'MediciRed rode- Lorenzo de'MediciBrown robe (left)- Lorenzo's page

The figures surrounding the Virgin represent not only the three Biblical Magi, but also are believed to depict members of the Medici family.[1][4] The Holy Family is located in the center of the painting, flanked by Medici family members.[1] The three Magi kneel in the foreground.[10][4] In order to pay homage to Pierfrancesco de' Medici, and his sons, the Augustinian monks of San Donato in Scopeto commissioned a painting from Leonardo da Vinci in 1481 (discussed in above section, see: Patron and Commission).[4] Although Leonardo abandoned his work, the Augustinian monks required Filippino Lippi to include the same figures.[4]

The actual identity of three Magi in the painting remains unclear, and this is due in part to the fact that Lippi included portraits of three members of the Medici family.[11] For instance, in the bottom left corner of the painting there is a man wearing a golden cloak, lined with fur.[12][13] As he kneels before the Christ-child, he is seen holding a large golden astrolabe.[14] Several scholars have suggested that this figure may the representMelchior the oldest of the Magi, as well as Pierfrancesco de' Medici, though the item he holds is not the typical gift that the Magi present to the Christ-Child, gold.[15][14][16] Bleattler does not go on to discuss the identity of the remaining two Magi in the painting, leaving their identity unclear.[17]

Above Pierfrancesco in the golden cloak, there are two male figures who Jonathan K. Nelson believes represent Pierfrancesco's sons, Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici (1463–1503), shown being crowned and serves as the youngest of the Magi, Caspar, and his brother, Giovanni de' Medici (1467–1498), serves as a page.[18][19] Giovanni, together with his older brother, holds a large gold and silver vessel lidded goblet, to give to baby Jesus.[20][21][22] With this interpretation, one Magi, the middle one, remains unaccounted for still.[22] He may be either of the two remaining men kneeling in the foreground.[22]

Based on the figures represented, it makes more sense that the male figure kneeling before the Christi-child (in a black clock with a blue scarf) is presumably the oldest Magi, Melchoir (notice how he has already given his gift and Jesus is seen holding it).[23] If this is the case, perhaps then Pierfrancesco would be the middle aged magus, Balthazar.[24][25] The youngest Magus, Caspar, could either be the figure in red, Lorenzo, or perhaps, is the man kneeling on the right, who is extending his gift to the Holy Family.[26] Traditionally, the three magi are depicted kneeling in artwork, which makes this a valid and logical assumption for labeling the Magi.[27]

Christian Ethiopians and ideas of the Orient

During Filippino Lippi's life, new artwork increasingly contained elements of the Orient.[9][28] At the of the year 1441 during the Council of Florence, four Ethiopian monks were present, who attested that their ruler controlled a Christian kingdom in Ethiopia larger than all of Europe.[9] The Europeans were intrigued by this large Christian kingdom and drew connections with their prior knowledge of the mythical figure of Prester John.[29] This motivated European artists, especially those of the Italian Renaissance, to increasingly include dark skinned figures in kings in the Adoration of the Magi.[9][30] This is seen when examining the multitude of scenes of the Adoration of the Magi that were painted in this period.[31] Many of the paintings include oriental carpets and halos with pseudo-Arabic script.[31] Contrary to this popular movement, Lippi did not include oriental objects like carpets in his painting of the Adoration of the Magi.[32] However, Lippi included Muslim men who are seen wearing turbans on the sides of the painting.[32] Unlike some other depictions of The Adoration of the Magi during the Italian Renaissance where one of the Magi, Balthazar was sometimes depicted with dark skin, Filippino Lippi shows all three of the Magi as white men.[4] However, he includes one African in the bottom right corner of the painting; this figure is not a king or attendant.[4][9]

Style

The general style of this painting is similar to Botticelli's Adoration of the Magi (1475), which also consists of extreme attention to detail and extravagant use of colors.[33] Lippi also used gold paint to highlight the concept of heavenly light and golden rays.[33] He uses bright colors and gold to grab and direct the viewer's attention.[33] The bright golden rays serve the purpose of as narrative pointers, a sign of divine presence, and spiritual energy.[33]

Fig 2: Close up of pyramidal structure of the key figures

Lippi crafted the scene in a pyramidal shape.[34] He placed the Virgin and Child at the apex of the pyramid, with the other figures surrounding them.[34] He painted a sense of movement, emotion, and physiognomic types that animates the entire scene.[35] Lippi's use of a pyramidal structure is similar to that of both Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Botticelli, as well as other Italian Renaissance painters at the time.[35] Lippi is also note for his use of warm colors in his paintings.[36] These qualities are seen in his Adoration of the Magi, as well as other paintings by Lippi, including Tobias and the Angel and the Adoration of the Kings.[36] Furthermore, Lippi creates an extremely vivid and naturalistic landscape in his artworks.[37]

Fig 3: Close up of African man and man with tiraz cloak

The man with the brown cloak, holding his right hand up, has tiraz artwork on his cloak.[38][39] The Medici family on the left wears a cloak that also resembles tiraz artwork.[39] This style of art comes from Islamic countries.[40] The Adoration of the Magi by Gentile da Fabriano also takes advantage of using tiraz in his painting.[40] Filippino including this in his painting shows how trade has connected different cultures, artistically and economically, as well as his knowledge and admiration of foreign artworks.[9][41] The dark man next to him is seen with a golden earring and pearl on his neck.[9] Most commonly, the use of earring in Italian Renaissance artwork was to depict 'the other'.[9][42] Poggio Bracciolini has claimed Africans, namely Ethiopians, decorated themselves with more gems and gold than Italians.[9] Filippino Lippi must have used other paintings and heard Bracciolini's stories to include these details.[9] A person looking at this painting would be immediately able to distinguish who is European, and who is not.[9]

Provenance

The finished product was only acquired by Carlo de' Medici in 1529.[1] The painting was then passed onto the Uffizi gallery.[1] The painting remains in the Uffizi to this day.[1]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Adoration of the Magi by Filippino Lippi.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Adoration of the Magi by Filippino Lippi". Uffizi Galleries. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  2. ^ "The Adoration of the Magi". www.nga.gov. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  3. ^ Stebbins, Madeleine. "The Adoration of the Magi". St. Paul Center. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Parenti, Daniela. "Adoration of the Magi by Leonardo da Vinci". Uffizi Galleries. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  5. ^ Bleattler, Henry R. (2001). Adoration of the Medici: Fifteenth Century Construction of a Princely Identity through the Expropriation of Magian Iconography. Ph.D. Dissertation The Florida State University. pp. 234–235, figs. 6.6, 6.7.
  6. ^ Alessandro, Vezzosi; Sabato, Agnese; Frost, Catherine. "Palazzo Vecchio (formerly Palazzo della Signoria)". Museo Galileo. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  7. ^ a b Alessandro, Vezzosi; Sabato, Agnese; Frost, Catherine. "Palazzo Vecchio (formerly Palazzo della Signoria)". Museo Galileo. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  8. ^ a b Feinberg, Larry J. (2011). "The Adoration and Leonardo's Military Interests". The Young Leonardo. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 139–144. ISBN 978-1-107-68822-3.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Nelson, Jonathan K. (2021-02-16). "Ethiopian Christians on the Margins: Symbolic Blackness in Filippino Lippi's Adoration of the Magi and Miracle of St Philip". Renaissance Studies. 35 (5): 857–879. doi:10.1111/rest.12722. ISSN 0269-1213.
  10. ^ "Adoration of the Magi by Filippino Lippi". Uffizi Galleries. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  11. ^ Bleattler, Henry R. (2001). Adoration of the Medici: Fifteenth Century Construction of a Princely Identity through the Expropriation of Magian Iconography. Ph.D. Dissertation The Florida State University. pp. 234–235, figs. 6.6, 6.7.
  12. ^ "Adoration of the Magi by Filippino Lippi". Uffizi Galleries. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  13. ^ Parenti, Daniela. "Adoration of the Magi by Leonardo da Vinci". Uffizi Galleries. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  14. ^ a b Bleattler, Henry R. (2001). Adoration of the Medici: Fifteenth Century Construction of a Princely Identity through the Expropriation of Magian Iconography. Ph.D. Dissertation The Florida State University. pp. 234–235, figs. 6.6, 6.7.
  15. ^ "Adoration of the Magi by Filippino Lippi". Uffizi Galleries. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  16. ^ Nelson, Jonathan K. (2021-02-16). "Ethiopian Christians on the Margins: Symbolic Blackness in Filippino Lippi's Adoration of the Magi and Miracle of St Philip". Renaissance Studies. 35 (5): 857–879. doi:10.1111/rest.12722. ISSN 0269-1213.
  17. ^ Bleattler, Henry R. (2001). Adoration of the Medici: Fifteenth Century Construction of a Princely Identity through the Expropriation of Magian Iconography. Ph.D. Dissertation The Florida State University. pp. 234–235, figs. 6.6, 6.7.
  18. ^ "Adoration of the Magi by Filippino Lippi". Uffizi Galleries. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  19. ^ Parenti, Daniela. "Adoration of the Magi by Leonardo da Vinci". Uffizi Galleries. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  20. ^ "Adoration of the Magi by Filippino Lippi". Uffizi Galleries. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  21. ^ Parenti, Daniela. "Adoration of the Magi by Leonardo da Vinci". Uffizi Galleries. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  22. ^ a b c Nelson, Jonathan K. (2021-02-16). "Ethiopian Christians on the Margins: Symbolic Blackness in Filippino Lippi's Adoration of the Magi and Miracle of St Philip". Renaissance Studies. 35 (5): 857–879. doi:10.1111/rest.12722. ISSN 0269-1213.
  23. ^ "Adoration of the Magi by Filippino Lippi". Uffizi Galleries. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  24. ^ Bleattler, Henry R. (2001). Adoration of the Medici: Fifteenth Century Construction of a Princely Identity through the Expropriation of Magian Iconography. Ph.D. Dissertation The Florida State University. pp. 234–235, figs. 6.6, 6.7.
  25. ^ Nelson, Jonathan K. (2021-02-16). "Ethiopian Christians on the Margins: Symbolic Blackness in Filippino Lippi's Adoration of the Magi and Miracle of St Philip". Renaissance Studies. 35 (5): 857–879. doi:10.1111/rest.12722. ISSN 0269-1213.
  26. ^ Christian, Kathleen R.; Clark, Leah (2017). European Art and the Wider World, 1350–1550. Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-1-5261-2290-2. OCLC 1050039882.
  27. ^ Christian, Kathleen R.; Clark, Leah (2017). European Art and the Wider World, 1350–1550. Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-1-5261-2290-2. OCLC 1050039882.
  28. ^ Christian, Kathleen R.; Clark, Leah (2017). European Art and the Wider World, 1350–1550. Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-1-5261-2290-2. OCLC 1050039882.
  29. ^ Nelson, Jonathan K. (2021-02-16). "Ethiopian Christians on the Margins: Symbolic Blackness in Filippino Lippi's Adoration of the Magi and Miracle of St Philip". Renaissance Studies. 35 (5): 857–879. doi:10.1111/rest.12722. ISSN 0269-1213.
  30. ^ Christian, Kathleen R.; Clark, Leah (2017). European Art and the Wider World, 1350–1550. Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-1-5261-2290-2. OCLC 1050039882.
  31. ^ a b Christian, Kathleen R.; Clark, Leah (2017). European Art and the Wider World, 1350–1550. Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-1-5261-2290-2. OCLC 1050039882.
  32. ^ a b Christian, Kathleen R.; Clark, Leah (2017). European Art and the Wider World, 1350–1550. Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-1-5261-2290-2. OCLC 1050039882.
  33. ^ a b c d Hills, Paul (2020). "Visible Rays in Filippino's London Adoration of the Magi". In Nuttall, Paula; Nuttall, Geoffrey; Kwakkelstein, Michael (eds.). Filippino Lippi: Beauty, Invention, and Intelligence. NIKI studies in Netherlandish-Italian Art History. Vol. 13. Leiden Boston: Brill. pp. 64–83. ISBN 978-90-04-41610-9.
  34. ^ a b Bradshaw, Marilyn. "Lippi, Filippino". Grove Art Online. doi:10.1093/gao/9781884446054.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e-90000370538?rskey=dnvd8t&result=1. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  35. ^ a b Bradshaw, Marilyn. "Lippi, Filippino". Grove Art Online. doi:10.1093/gao/9781884446054.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e-90000370538?rskey=dnvd8t&result=1. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  36. ^ a b Goldner, George R. "Filippino Lippi (ca. 1457–1504)". The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  37. ^ Goldner, George R. "Filippino Lippi (ca. 1457–1504)". The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  38. ^ "Adoration of the Magi by Filippino Lippi". Uffizi Galleries. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  39. ^ a b Christian, Kathleen R.; Clark, Leah (2017). European Art and the Wider World, 1350–1550. Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-1-5261-2290-2. OCLC 1050039882.
  40. ^ a b Christian, Kathleen R.; Clark, Leah (2017). European Art and the Wider World, 1350–1550. Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-1-5261-2290-2. OCLC 1050039882.
  41. ^ Christian, Kathleen R.; Clark, Leah (2017). European Art and the Wider World, 1350–1550. Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-1-5261-2290-2. OCLC 1050039882.
  42. ^ Christian, Kathleen R.; Clark, Leah (2017). European Art and the Wider World, 1350–1550. Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-1-5261-2290-2. OCLC 1050039882.
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