The adoration of The magi, Italian School 17 Th Century

The Adoration of the Magi, oil on canvas of the Italian school of the north of the early seventeenth century. Following the Gospel of St. Matthew, wise men of the Orient, warned and guided by a star, come to pay homage to the King of Judea and offer him gold, incense and myrrh. Following a trend of the 1620s this representation of the adoration of the Magi is presented on a large horizontal format in length to present the characters in frieze. The rhythmic arrangement, the ornamental richness and the broken folds recall a Gothic heritage. The pose borrowed from the magi and exoticism reflect a mannerism late and original. The impassive sobriety of the Madonna contrasts with the splendor of its surroundings and its hieraticism announces the beginning of the classicism of the first decades of the seventeenth century. The characters accumulate staged on different levels: the sumptuous choreography of mages develops in the middle of a bountiful courtyard populating some ancient remains. In the foreground, the oldest, the Roman Gaspard, knelt fervently in front of the child depositing his present at the feet of the Madonna which cuts by its sobriety. Coming from Asia, the nobility of Melchior is emphasized by the quality of the fabric and embroidery of his cloak worn by kneeling pages, his turban embellished with jewels, in the background, Balthasar Sarazin, beard looks at us; his clear dress contrasts with his dark complexion. Behind them, the caravan is more simply treated with pages, turbaned court nobles, armed soldiers, in the background horsemen perched on horses and camels highlight the distant provenance of the acolytes. In retreat behind the virgin near a Doric column, Joseph, draped in a cloak, leaning on a cane meditates like a philosopher. This oil was the subject of a restoration in the rules of the art such as cleaning and refreshing old restorations. Dimensions: frame 178cm long and 108cm high - frame 168cm long and 98cm high.