adoration of the magi
...rence. The altarpiece is now housed in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence. The Lama chapel was dedicated to the Epiphany therefore the altarpiece is correct in relation to subject matter of the chapel. Botticelli painted the theme of the Adoration around seven times however; the Uffizi altarpiece is the most well known out of the seven. The three Magi are considered to originate from the orient and represent three kings from three continents: Asia, Europe and Africa. The names of the Magi are known to be Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar. They also represent the three ages of men: young, middle and old. In all four of the altarpieces, the three magi are shown in the three different ages. For example, the oldest magi kneels in front of the Christ Child, while the middle-aged magi is about to kneel and the youngest waits for his turn to praise the Christ Child while standing, in Gentile da Fabriano’s depiction of the Adoration. Melchior presents Christ with gold, which is representative of the recognition of the holy kingdom. Caspar presents Christ with incense, symbolic of his deity and Balthasar presents myrrh, a sign of Christ’s humanity. The feast of the Epiphany is one of the oldest Christian holidays. In the bible, the number of wise men is not mentioned but it has been assumed that there are three magi because of the number of gifts presented to Christ. Three magi is the number found in the oldest artistic portrayal of the subject from second century Rome. In all four depictions of the Adoration, there are three magi present in front of Christ. However, they are accompanied by a multitude of figures, part of the procession lead by the Magi. They bring gifts that are symbolic of Christ’s dual nature ?he is both mortal and divine. Gold, represents Christ’s kingship; frankincense, represents his divinity; and myrrh, represents his sacrificial death. The magi, had to journey in order to reach the Christ Child in Bethlehem. In three of the given examples of the Adoration, a journey is shown in the background. Botticelli is the only one who depicts the event itself without the leading journey that the three magi took in order to reach Bethlehem. Botticelli did this so that more focus would be on the event of the adoration itself. The role of the journey is to represent all Christian followers who take the Christian road to salvation. Gentile da Fabriano’s altarpiece is exemplar in the depiction of the magi’s journey. He shows the three significant moments in the magi’s journey. He has depicted it in reading order from left to right: the discovery of the star of Bethlehem, their encounter with King Herod in Jerusalem, and their entry into Bethlehem. His compositional elements are in harmony; the background landscape is truthful to the rocky landscape in the frontal scene. The moment of gift giving is the scene that is most recognizable with the story of the Adoration. Thus, the presentation of the gifts is the moment that artists represent in their altarpieces. In all four of the Adoration altarpieces, the magi are about to present their gifts to the Christ Child. The Christ child blesses them while he sits on Mary’s lap. The theme of the Adoration is easy to recognize upon first sight but there is more to the painting than the obvious subject manner. All four artists have used symbolism that is significant to the Epiphany. The heavenly star of Bethlehem is shown in Gentile and Botticelli’s depictions. It is the star that guided the magi to Christ. Gentile shows the star in the left, background narrative scene, when the magi have first discovered the star of Bethlehem. There is a light source emulating at the center top of Botticelli’s scene, and it is assumed that it is the star that showed the magi to Christ. Lamb flock the middle ground of Domenico Veneziano’s painting, which evocates the coming Eucharist. Christ has come to save mankind represented by the magi. The ass and ox, traditional in Nativity scenes are included in three of the Quattrocento altarpieces described in this essay, except for Botticelli’s. The ax and ox signify that all should recognize and place importance on the Incarnation of Christ, an event that even simple animals are able to recognize. Filippo, Domenico and Botticelli all include peacocks in their depictions of the Adoration of the Magi. The peacock represents the ever-watchful soul. He is a reminder of the ever-watchful eye of Christ who will judge on judgment day. The peacock’s meat was thought to not decay, thus is also representative of the immortal and incorruptible soul of Christ. Fra Filippo Lippi adds another symbolic element. He incorporates two symmetrically arranged peacocks, a symbol for the psychic duality of Christ. Gentile da Fabriano did not included a peacock in his composition, but he did add a sparrow, which is representative of Christian humility. Gentile da Fabriano and Fra Filippo Lippi include dogs in their altarpieces. This could be a contemporary addition to display their skills in drawing or to display an animal that might have existed in the courts of those who commissioned the altarpieces. Or, the dogs could refer to the courage of Christ and the protection that Christian followers receive under Christ. However, this is only speculation and the artists?real motive for the inclusion of a dog can only be assumed. Domenico Veneziano added a camel in his tondo. Again, Domenico could have been incorporating a contemporary element. However, a camel is symbolic of temperance because it can survive under hardships in the desert, which could represent Christ’s hardships for the salvation of mankind. An interesting element that Domenico Veneziano uses is the incorporation of an evergreen tree, behind the mass of people. Domenico could have wanted to show his ability in depicting natural life. The evergreen stands out on its own in the composition, thus, is likely that Domenico added the evergreen as a symbol of the eternal spirit. An evergreen tree does not shed its leaves in winter and remains green all year long. Thus, it is symbolic of the ever-immortal soul of Christ. All four artists use typology to show the new Christian world that is to come and the abolishment of the older Christian world. The artists show historical Jerusalem in the background and in the immediate scene of the Adoration in the foreground signifies the present and future Christian world. Domenico Veneziano and Gentile da Fabriano show King Herod’s kingdom, while Fra Filippo Lippi and Botticelli have used fallen Roman architecture. Fra Filippo Lippi and Botticelli are showing the end of the pagan world and th...