How are you?
On every Thursday, I am
introducing the stories about various artists and their paintings with the
title “Interesting Art Stories”.
The 18th story for this week is
"The Adoration of the Magi" by the Italian painter Giotto di Bondone.
“The Adoration of the Magi” is the name typically given to the famous
biblical scene where three Magi discover the baby Jesus by following a star and
worship him while giving him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. This scene
was often used as an image of the Nativity, which is one of the most important
stories not only in the life of Christ, but also in the life of the Virgin
Mary.
The
earliest works on this subject are catacomb paintings.
Adoration of the Magi, Catacombs, Priscilla, Rome (3rd century)
The
Magi are generally described as people of the same age, but at some point they
began to be described as three men of different ages, and one of the
representative examples can be seen on the façade of Orvieto Cathedral. And the
Magi, painted in Northern Europe, were often represented by figures
representing three regions of the world, among whom Balthasar represents an
African or Moor, Caspar represents Oriental features, and Melchior represents a
European.
The Adoration of the Magi, Marble relief, Orvieto Cathedral, Italy
The
"adoration" of the Magi at the crib is a common subject, but the
scene displaying their arrival, called the "Procession of the Magi",
is often shown in the distant background of a Nativity scene, or as a separate
subject such as in the Magi Chapel frescos by Benozzo Gozzoli in the Palazzo
Medici Riccardi, Florence.
Journey of the Magi, Benozzo Gozzoli, Magi Chapel, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Florence
“The Adoration of the Magi” is a subject painted by many great
masters such as Botticelli, Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci, and Rubens, and one
of the works that interests us is the work of the 13th-century Italian artist
Giotto.
Adoration of the Magi, Sandro Botticelli (c. 1475–1476)
The Adoration of the Magi, Rembrandt (1634)
Adoration of the Magi, Leonardo da Vinci (1481)
The Adoration of the Magi, Rubens, Lyon (c.1617-18)
The reason is because of the persuasive argument that Giotto's Star of
Bethlehem in his work on the subject was modeled Halley’s Comet. Comparing the
time when Halley’s Comet was witnessed and when Giotto painted this work, he
began painting in 1303 and completed it in 1305, and Halley’s Comet passed by
Earth in 1301, so it is quite possible that Giotto could have seen it and been
inspired by it. The claim that Halley’s Comet was reflected in his painting also
fits well in time aspect.
Halley's Comet
The people at the European Space Agency were
convinced of this claim and named the spacecraft "Giotto”, which studied
Halley’s Comet in honor of Giotto.
Giotto spacecraft approaching a comet
“The Adoration of the Magi” is a favorite subject chiefly in
painting, but it is also used in sculpture and music such as in Gian-Carlo
Menotti's opera “Amahl and the Night Visitors.”
The subject can also be found
in stained glass, and the first figural stained glass window made in the United
States is the "Adoration of the Magi" window in Christ Church, Pelham,
New York, designed by William Jay Bolton, the son of the founder and first
rector of the church, in 1843.
Adoration of the Magi window, stained glass, Christ Church, Pelham, New York
Thank you.
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