Artwork
The Adoration of the Magi
The Adoration of the Magi is an oil painting by the Baroque artist Mazzucchelli, called Morazzone, Pier Francesco. It dates from 1600 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The Adoration of the Magi, painted by Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli (Morazzone) in 1600, represents the biblical episode of the Magi’s visit to the infant Christ, a subject identified in the work’s cataloguing as the main theme. As a religious painting in the National Gallery of Art, it exemplifies Counter-Reformation interest in the manifestation of divine humanity, with the Christ Child positioned centrally as the focal point of adoration. The composition’s iconography underscores the recognition of Christ’s messianic identity by the Gentile world, a motif reinforced by the painting’s provenance and exhibition history.
Technique & Style
The Adoration of the Magi is executed in oil on panel, a support typical of early seventeenth-century Italian cabinet-scale paintings.
The Adoration of the Magi is executed in oil on panel, a support typical of early seventeenth-century Italian cabinet-scale paintings. Its modest dimensions, approximately 24.8 by 25 centimeters, place it within the small-format devotional tradition. The work belongs to the religious genre and depicts the Christ Child as its main subject within the Adoration of the Magi narrative.
Morazzone's handling is consistent with Lombard painting practice of the period, employing the oil medium on a wooden support to achieve detailed modeling and tonal contrasts suited to a closely viewed religious image. The sources do not provide further specifics regarding the panel's preparation, paint layering, or present condition.
History & Provenance
Created by Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli, known as Morazzone, the painting dates to approximately 1600. Initially misattributed to Bartolomeo Schedone, the work appeared in a sale at L'Antonina in Rome on May 11, 1965. It was subsequently sold at Sotheby's in London on December 6, 1972, before passing through the Maltzahn Gallery, Ltd.
By 1974, it was held in a private collection in London, where it was exhibited in Birmingham that same year. Around 2000, the piece was acquired on the Italian art market for a private collection in Modena. In July 2015, Cantore Galleria Antiquaria in Modena obtained the work, which was finally purchased by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 2016.
Overview
Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli, known as Morazzone, created this oil on panel painting titled "The Adoration of the Magi" around 1600. The artwork depicts a pivotal moment in Christian narrative, illustrating the reverence paid to the infant Christ by the three wise men. It exemplifies a common religious subject matter prevalent in early 17th-century European art, rendered with the artist's distinct visual approach.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Mazzucchelli, called Morazzone, Pier Francesco
Mazzucchelli, called Morazzone, Pier Francesco (1600–1600) was an artist.
