Adoration of the Magi
The Adoration of the Magi was the first work of Sandro’s that won him mass popularity. It was commissioned by Gaspare di Zanobi del Lama, a banker that was connected to the Medici family. It was commissioned for the chapel in the church of Santa Maria Novella. This was not the first or the last of Sandro’s depiction of the adoration, indeed it was one of his most popular motifs; however, it was incredibly important for its popularity and beauty in the depiction of the figures.
Vasari had this to say about the quality of the work, “It is not possible to describe the beauty that Sandro depicted in the heads that are therein seen, which are drawn in various attitudes, some in full face, some in profile, some in three-quarter face, others bending down, and others, again, in various manners; with different expressions for the young and the old, and with all the bizarre effects that reveal to us the perfection of his skill; and he distinguished the Courts of the three Kings one from another, insomuch that one can see which are the retainers of each. This is truly a most admirable work, and executed so beautifully, whether in coloring, drawing, or composition, that every craftsman at the present day stands in a marvel thereat.” The influence and independence from his former master Lippi were evident in this work. The rich use of blue, white, and gold coloration was something that was influenced by Sandro’s work with Lippi. However, the skill with the figures, grace, and juxtaposition of opposing themes were all distinctly his own.
One interesting fact about this paitning was the amount of figures, including himself, that Sandro painted as onlookers in the adoration. Cosimo, Piero, Giovanni, and his grandsons Giuliano and Lorenzo are all painted in this work. This is a clear and early indication of the influence of the patronage of the Medici family on Sandro’s work.
Vasari had this to say about the quality of the work, “It is not possible to describe the beauty that Sandro depicted in the heads that are therein seen, which are drawn in various attitudes, some in full face, some in profile, some in three-quarter face, others bending down, and others, again, in various manners; with different expressions for the young and the old, and with all the bizarre effects that reveal to us the perfection of his skill; and he distinguished the Courts of the three Kings one from another, insomuch that one can see which are the retainers of each. This is truly a most admirable work, and executed so beautifully, whether in coloring, drawing, or composition, that every craftsman at the present day stands in a marvel thereat.” The influence and independence from his former master Lippi were evident in this work. The rich use of blue, white, and gold coloration was something that was influenced by Sandro’s work with Lippi. However, the skill with the figures, grace, and juxtaposition of opposing themes were all distinctly his own.
One interesting fact about this paitning was the amount of figures, including himself, that Sandro painted as onlookers in the adoration. Cosimo, Piero, Giovanni, and his grandsons Giuliano and Lorenzo are all painted in this work. This is a clear and early indication of the influence of the patronage of the Medici family on Sandro’s work.
While the majority of the work is described as an attitude of grace and peace, there is one figure that broke that atmosphere. Lightbown said in his work The Life and Work of Botticelli, “The atmosphere of courtly grace is broken only by the youth in the left foreground, who puts his arm familiarly around his friend and leans forward with lively curiosity.” The juxtaposition of contradictory motifs was a theme that Sandro employed in paintings throughout the entire corpus of his work. This greatest early painting of Sandro’s is useful in displaying many of the trends of Sandro’s art that began when he was a young painter.