The Procession of the Magi

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Eastern Wall, Magi Chapel by Benozzo Gozzoli, 1461
Palazzo Medici Riccardi
Via Cavour
Florence, April 2015

“The Chapel is famous for the series of wall paintings by Benozzo Gozzoli, with the Angels in Adoration in the rectangular apse and the ‘Journey of the Magi’ in the large hall. Painted during the years subsequent to 1459, but in any case by 1463, they represent the masterpiece oft his painter, dedicated to a sacred subject but rich in traces of pomp and secular elegance with all the care that Cosimo and Piero de' Medici - as exigent buyers and connoisseurs of art - expected of him. Hosts of angels sing and adore on a rural background civilly portioned, like the typical Florentine countryside. While the magnificent procession of the Three Kings approaches Bethlehem accompanied by their respective entourages they enjoy the scene of a noble hunting party with falcons and felines along the way. The sumptuous and varied costumes with their princely finishings make this pictorial series one of the most fascinating testimonies of art and costume of all time. Among the followers of the Magi there are numerous family portraits.” (Chapel of the Magi, The Museums of Florence)