Probably by Zanobi Strozzi, 'The Adoration of the Kings', about 1433-4
About the work
Overview
Three men have followed a star – you can see it just inside the stable – to pay homage to the infant Christ. These wise men, sometimes called kings – here they all have crowns – are shown kneeling before him. One has set his crown aside and kisses the newborn’s foot, showing reverence to him.
This panel has been associated with the Florentine painter Zanobi Strozzi, who was also a skilled manuscript illuminator. Illuminations were often highly decorative with plenty of gold leaf and minute attention to detail. The meadow that the kings and their attendants kneel in is filled with a variety of tiny flowers and grasses; some look like daisies. Their costumes are embellished with gold patterns.
We don’t know which altarpiece this predella (the lowest part of an altarpiece) panel belonged to, but it has been connected with a panel showing the Nativity of Christ in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- The Adoration of the Kings
- Artist
- Probably by Zanobi Strozzi
- Artist dates
- 1412 - 1468
- Date made
- about 1433-4
- Medium and support
- egg tempera on wood
- Dimensions
- 19 × 47.4 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Bought, 1857
- Inventory number
- NG582
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.
Images
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