Explore the Description of this artwork.
Botticelli's scene is set within a landscape that includes classical ruins from the Greco-Roman world, such as the classical arcade in the middle ground at the left. The Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, and the Christ Child are sitting upon one of these classical ruins that served as a makeshift manger where the birth (nativity) of Christ occurred. Greenery is growing out of the cracks in the ruin, and a peacock is perched at the right. The star of Bethlehem radiates gold rays at the top of the painting, highlighting the Virgin and Child.The formal elements of Botticelli's Adoration of the Magi include solid, firm figures, and intense, saturated colors, especially reds. These elements helped the painting stand out on the altar, as it was competing with a magnificent frame and was muted by limited lighting. It is important to consider in which conditions the painting would have been viewed at the time it was created: after sundown, it would have been viewed in candlelight, which may have caused the reds to become warm and to appear as if they were glowing. This glow is not visible today as the painting is now lit by artificial lighting.
Greco-Roman world nativity arcade classical Botticelli gold Adoration of the Magi peacock manger