"The Adoration of the Magi" by Fra Angelico and Fra Lippi

 Tomorrow is the feast of the Epiphany, the day that the three Kings or Magi, visited and worshiped baby Jesus. I love this feast and normally would find my way down to the National Gallery of Art to take a look at the beautiful paintings they have there. This year it isn't possible (thanks, Covid) so I wanted to do a little research on one of my dad's favorite paintings there, "The Adoration of the Magi" by Fra Angelico and Fra Lippi. 

"The Adoration of the Magi" by Fra Angelico and Fra Lippi. 1440-1460. Florence, Italy.

A couple of years ago my father was here visiting, my old man to be more precise. We are a very cultured, mature and elegant breed so decided to put on our best attire and head down to DC for some quality time, art and fancy dining. He had a goal to find this painting. 

This cupcake was still around.

We started the day with Daddy's favorite breakfast: sunny side up eggs, cornbread and bacon. Reading his memoir: writing is a family trait. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree...

Just another pinecone

Fine dining doesn't get better than this. 

"That's some good grub!" I can hear him say.

The National Gallery of Art has the most beautiful fresh floral displays around the water fountains.

 An Interpretive artist.

When I was growing up, my parents would love taking us to art galleries: digging a little more behind historic areas, architecture and paintings. We didn't understand much but we appreciated history as a group. This day was no exception. My dad was after finding his favorite painting at the NGA and when he found it he was a happy camper.

Holding back a little tear, no doubt.

The Adoration of the Magi is in fact a painting that would give life and joy to anyone who encounters it. For starters it is enormous and the size of it just makes you feel that you are in the presence of something really special. Secondly, it is round, technically called a Tondo, and it's unique shape is just fun. Lastly it is bright and has tons of people, animals and movement. There are all types of things happening here. Let's jump in and learn a little more, shall we? (If we were in DC, Pre-Covid grabbing a hotdog would be a prerequisite here too.)

A little history:

This painting physically has an interesting history. It was thought to be commissioned by the Medici family in 1440. Fra Angelico and Fra Lippi were two of Florence's most prolific painters at the time. They painted using a tempera paint: stones, earth and plants ground and mixed with egg yolk to get the perfect color. They were Dominican monks, or brothers, hence the paintings by them signed "Fra" for "Bro" or Fratello. Their first names are not "Fra", as one might initially think...

This painting was finished around 1460 according to the Florentine National Archives and passed from generation to generation till Napoleon rolled around. Art seems to be such a vulnerable target during war. Well, this piece was no exception and thanks to Napoleon it was "sold" to Francois Honore' Dubois (say that fast with a French accent and bat your eyelashes for emphasis) in 1811. Circumstances around the selling of it seem to be both legit and murky, no one is totally sure of anything other than the painting, and thousands more showing up in Paris.  Then it got sold left and right till it ended up in England's Cook Collection where it stayed for quite some time till World War Two rolled around. With the threat of another war, the painting was sent on a little trip to cornfield country in Columbus, Ohio. Once the Brits saw things were getting pretty ugly with bombings and art stealing by the Nazi's in Europe, the Cook family sold it to Samuel Kress of New York in 1947. It's last adventure was being donated to the National Gallery of Art in DC. 

The shape:

The round shape, the tondo, of the painting is particularly important. Tondos were made for home chapels, for devotional use and meditation of the subject in the painting. The circle represents eternity and perfection. Perfection is depicted in the painting, being the Christ child, perfection in human form. The tondo also, as a circle, has no beginning and no end, just as the subject of the eternal King having no beginning or no end. 

The Magi's were models of Christian devotion in this tondo and the goal of meditation on them by the painters. The Magi are monarchs, Kings or leaders of this world, in search of the perfect king. I'd love to see politicians bowing down to baby Jesus.

There is a beautiful tool one can use on the NGA website where you can amplify the paintings and have a much closer look at the detail. These are a few of my favorite observations:

The Holy Family: Mary and Joseph are carefully watching the king touch their baby. 

Baby Jesus toy: I like that Mary's hand is gripping Him and He is gripping a monster (the devil) in His baby fist. 

The look on the kings face shows total love and tenderness towards the baby as he gently caresses the fat little foot.

Two other kings patiently wait for their turn, touching their hearts.

The king in red has something interesting inscribed on his belt. I couldn't find any source with an explanation.

This man is looking at the star in the sky.

All the people, mostly men, flock through the gate to follow the kings to the baby King.

Three royal horses in the stable.

The ox and donkey looking at the crowds of people with placid expressions. 

I hope you enjoyed this little delve into this beautiful painting that commemorates a wonderful day that kings set out on a pilgrimage to pay homage to the eternal King. Happy Epiphany!