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Adoration of the Magi

Creator

Italian Artist · 1500–1535

Defendente Ferrari's birth is unrecorded but scholars know that he came from the Italian city of Chivasso. Although he seems to have been fairly prolific, an altarpiece painted for the town of Ranverso in 1531 is his only documented work. Scholars have also attributed a larger group of unsigned paintings to him. Ferrari's style exhibits the highly refined qualities of late Gothic art, a style that

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Date: about 1520
Medium: Oil on panel
Culture: Italian
Department: Paintings
Institution: Getty Museum

In this altarpiece, whose top was originally curved, the kings kneel at Christ's feet and their entourage gathers around, symbolizing the three continents--Asia, Europe, and Africa--to which Christianity would soon spread. The Adoration of the Magi story allowed artists to depict the kings' wondrous gifts and exotic splendor, making it a favorite subject for altarpieces in the 1400s and 1500s. Following the Netherlandish tradition, Defendente Ferrari painted minute details, jewel-like color, and distinct physical types. The angular style, richly embroidered draperies, and specific faces show his familiarity with the practices of Rogier van der Weyden and southern France.

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