Epiphanies: some art and some exciting news...

In honour of Epiphany and the fact that we haven’t posted much over the festive period, I thought I’d share one of my favourite (somewhat) festive works of art – Benezzo Gozzoli’s fresco, The Journey of the Magi to Bethlehem (c.1459) in what is now Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence.

I first came across this work during an MA module on The Italian Domestic interior and was intrigued by the ways in which it combined religious devotion, political statement and self-aggrandisement.

At first glance, this is an extremely devout work, aligning the Medici patrons with the Magi in their journey to find the Christ child. Indeed, portraits of Cosimo and Piero de’Medici can be found amongst the faces of participants in the procession, associating them even more closely with the religious subject matter.

Benezzo Gozzoli, Journey of the Magi to Bethlehem
Detail - Piero de'Medici
(http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/chapel_of_the_magi.html#)

Benezzo Gozzoli, Journey of the Magi to Bethlehem
Detail - Cosimo de'Medici
(http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/chapel_of_the_magi.html#)

But it is so much more than this. The Medici built their brand new palace, in which this chapel can be found, as a concrete, urban symbol of their power. The chapel was not simply the locus for private family devotion, but a place for business transactions and important meetings to take place. It was one of the points within the Renaissance palazzo where public and private collided in a way that has fascinated historians for a long time, and it’s message would have been clear to see for all those admitted within its walls.

The Medici family were patrons of the Compagnia dei Magi (also known as the Compagnia della Stella), a religious confraternity that was responsible for the organisation of the very public procession in celebration of Epiphany that wound its way through the streets of Florence each year. Indeed, it seems likely that this procession, passing outside the Palazzo Medici, followed the exact path of its fictive counterpart upon the walls of the chapel. Thus, as patrons of art, architecture and religion, the Medici were able to help consolidate their power within the city over which they effectively ruled.

I have had the privilege of standing inside this chapel on a visit to Florence a couple of years ago, and it was then that I was able to realise the extent of its impact. Following restoration work that was completed in 1992, the chapel is a riot of colour and gilding that surrounds and envelops the viewer, attesting to the Cosimo de’Medici’s pride in his own artistic taste and patronage as well as his political motivations.

Benezzo Gozzoli, Journey of the Magi to Bethlehem(http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/chapel_of_the_magi.html#)

There is another, slightly ulterior, motive for this blog post… I am excited to have firmed up the details of my first research trip and to be returning to Florence in April! Watch this space for more lovely Florentine art and architecture over the coming months!

(This is a somewhat abbreviated account of the frescoes... if you're interested in finding out a bit more, check out Cristina Acidini Luchinat's book, The Chapel of the Magi : Benozzo Gozzoli's frescoes in the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi Florence (London and  New York: Thames and Hudson, 1994).