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Leonardo
da Vinci - The Adoration of the Magi
The Adoration of the Magi is an early painting by
Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo was given the commission
by the Augustinian monks of San Donato a Scopeto in
Florence, but departed for Milan the following year,
leaving the painting unfinished. It has been in the
Uffizi Gallery in Florence since 1670.
The Virgin Mary and Child are depicted in the foreground
and form a triangular shape with the Magi kneeling
in adoration. Behind them is a semicircle of accompanying
figures, including what may be a self-portrait of
the young Leonardo (on the far right). In the background
on the left is the ruin of a pagan building, on which
workmen can be seen, apparently repairing it. On the
right are men on horseback fighting, and a sketch
of a rocky landscape.
The ruins are a possible reference to the Basilica
of Maxentius, which, according to Medieval legend,
the Romans claimed would stand until a virgin gave
birth. It is supposed to have collapsed on the night
of Christ's birth (in fact it was not even built until
a later date). The ruins dominate a preparatory perspective
drawing by Leonardo, which also includes the fighting
horsemen. The palm tree in the centre has associations
with the Virgin Mary, partly due to the phrase 'You
are stately as a palm tree' from the Song of Solomon,
which is believed to prefigure her. Another aspect
of the palm tree can be the usage of the palm tree
as a symbol of victory for ancient Rome, whereas in
Christianity it is a representation of martyrdom--triumph
over death-- so in conclusion we can say that the
palm in general represents triumph. The other tree
in the painting is from the carob family, the seeds
from the tree are used as a unit of measurement. They
measure valuable stones and jewels. This tree and
its seeds are associated with crowns suggesting Christ
as the king of kings or the Virgin as the future Queen
of heaven, also that this is nature's gift to the
new born Christ. As with Michelangelo's Doni Tondo
the background is probably supposed to represent the
Pagan world supplanted by the Christian world, as
inaugurated by the events in the foreground.
Leonardo develops his pioneering use of chiaroscuro
in the image, creating a seemingly chaotic mass of
people plunged into darkness and confusion from which
the Magi peer towards the brightly lit figures of
Mary and Jesus, while the pagan world in the background
carries on building and warring unaware of the new
revelation.
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