18. Adoration of the Magi Giotto di Bondone (1266-1337)

Description of Giotto di Bondone’s painting The Adoration of the Magi

"The Adoration of the Magi" is one of the most famous works of art worldwide, painted by the Italian master painter and architect Giotto di Bondone during the Proto-Renaissance period.

Giotto is famous for his influence on all Western European art, and his tradition of painting and designing is still valued by art masters many centuries later. It was Giotto who succeeded in creating a new and improved method of depicting on the plane of space. Needless to say, even Da Vinci and Michelangelo admired Giotto’s works.

Giotto di Bondone’s most famous works are still preserved to this day in the Chapel of the Scrovegna in Padua, Italy. Executed in tempera at the beginning of the 14th century, the frescoes depict religious themes, as was the custom at the time. "The Adoration of the Magi is included in this cycle.

The work depicts a scene from the Gospels where the Magi come to worship the infant Christ. The Magi, wise men who have come a long way from the East, bring gifts to the future Savior of Mankind. According to the story, they saw a star in the sky, which gave them news of the birth of the child - the future King, for which the wise men were willing to travel even a long way.

The fresco has been preserved in good condition, the restoration helps to prolong its life for many years to come. The multi-figured composition was composed by Giotto so successfully that each hero is clearly visible and takes part in the overall action - even the two donkeys depicted on the left, welcoming the future King.

To the right of Mary and the Christ Child is shown an angel whose white robe stands out in the overall coloring. The blue sky contrasts sharply with the luminous figures and shows Halley’s comet, an important and interesting detail for the fresco and Giotto’s work.