The Christmas Story: The Procession of the Magi

Benozo Gozzoli, 1459-52 - Procession of the Magi - Fresco - Cappella dei Magi, Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, Florence (click photo for larger image)A cavalcade of the great and good (or the rich and powerful) wends its way down a steep valley on the way to Bethlehem. Gozzoli’s fresco, with its deer, hounds and horses, its hunting and social conversation, could almost have been painted from life. These “Magi” include a throng of Medici godfathers and retinue. The artist himself is among the portraits contained within the painting. The image commemorates real events – the annual Epiphany procession in 15th-century Florence – in its effort to make biblical events real for contemporary viewers. This work is the high point of the Magi chapel in Florence.

Benozo Gozzoli (c. 1421-1497) was an Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. Probably a student pupil of Fra Angelico, Gozzoli is best known for his series of murals in the Magi Chapel of the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, depicting festive, vibrant processions with a fine attention to detail and a pronounced International Gothic influence.