“Portrait of Marshal G. K. Zhukov” by Pavel Korin
Artists see the world in different ways, each depicting what he sees in his own way, conveying the many colors of nature and unusual characters. And sometimes they dream to…

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"Raft" Medusa "" Theodore Gericault
The artist Theodore Gericault, the founder of romanticism in France, became famous for a number of works, and especially the painting “The Jellyfish Raft”. She became no less well-known than…

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Diego Rivera - the great Mexican painter
When the Great October Socialist Revolution took place in Russia, a revolutionary struggle was going on in Mexico for seven years. Armed peasants opposed the dictatorship of the rich and…

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"The Battle of San Romano" by Paolo Uccello
In the famous museums of Europe - the Louvre. Uffizi, the London National Gallery - stored three paintings by Florentine artist Paolo di Dono, nicknamed Uccello. Created in 1456-1457, they…

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Paul Gauguin - “the world of Tahiti”
When you get to the hall where the paintings of Gauguin hang, you find yourself in a special world of images, mysteriously flickering colors, slow rhythms. Everything here is unusual…

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“The Adoration of the Magi” by Sandro Botticelli and Leonardo Da Vinci

In March 1481, the monks of the Florentine monastery of San Donato and Scopetto turned to the notary Pietro of Vinci with a request to find an artist who could write an altar painting for the cathedral. Pietro immediately offered the services of his son Leonardo, who recently graduated from Verrocchio. At the same time the contract was concluded, where the working conditions were determined. The artist was given the task of painting a 2.5×2.5 m size in oil on a blackboard in two – two and a half years. The plot of the Adoration of the Magi is one of the episodes of the Gospel legend.

Three ancient wise men-forecasters (Magi – the ancient Russian name of astrologers) noticed a new star in the sky. They interpreted her as a sign of the birth of an extraordinary baby. Following the guiding star, they found the recently born Jesus Christ and his mother Mary in the city of Bethlehem. Bowing before a wonderful baby, the Magi brought gifts – gold, frankincense and myrrh (fragrant pitch). The theme “Adoration of the Magi” addressed many artists. In theological works there is no consensus about who the wise men are, what they looked like, where they came from: from Arabia, Ancient Babylon or mysterious India? All this allowed the artists to give their own interpretation of the plot.

At the end of the 15th century, when Leonardo began his career, the so-called “Platonov Academy” became the center of the cultural life of Florence. She united scientists, writers and philosophers of the time. The patron of the academy was the unwritten ruler of the city of Lorenzo Medici, nicknamed the Magnificent. Translations and interpretations of the works of ancient authors, in which Florentine academics were engaged, influenced their attitude to the visual arts. Painting seemed to them to be nothing more than an illustration of philosophical ideas and poetic compositions. This was reflected in the work of the artist closest to the academy – Sandro Botticelli. Following the instructions of mentors, he created several works that were reconstructions of paintings by ancient artists or served as an interpretation of the poems of the poet Angelo Poliziano.

Indicative for the creativity of Botticelli painting “The Adoration of the Magi.” At first glance, it is no different from the work of other artists on the same plot. Perhaps there is only more solemnity and festivity typical of Botticelli’s handwriting. Diffused light allows it to subtly model volumes, soothes the brightness of clothes and only occasionally flashes bright reflections on metal objects and gold embroidery. The faces and figures of the characters are amazingly finely written.

But if you look closely at the picture, the question naturally arises: why did the artist so clearly tried to draw attention to the individual figures? Why in the foreground portrayed a young man leaning on a sword, out of place in the scene of “Worship”? If we consider the structure of the composition, it will become clear that it is built in the form of a triangle and the top of it is the group of Mary with the baby. But in the shallow space of the picture, closed by rock and the remains of the walls, the viewer’s eye is transferred from the small central figures to the group of magically dressed Magus. Thus, the semantic center of the composition is shifted, and the main plot is relegated to the background.

It is known that the picture was made to order. In the right part of it, Botticelli tried to present characters who obviously could not fit into the composition. He captured their profiles superimposed on each other, like images on Egyptian reliefs. Only a small part of the face was visible to the viewer, but the figures themselves did not have enough space. It is legitimate to ask why such a skilful master as Botticelli needed to overload the already shallow work space, thereby violating its integrity? Isn’t it easier to eliminate unnecessary pieces? Apparently, Botticelli received from the customer exact instructions on who and how it is necessary to portray in the picture and what she should tell the audience. And there were a lot of spectators, almost all of Florence, as the piece was intended for the church of Santa Maria Novella, one of the most revered in the city.

Knowledge of the history of Florence at the end of the 15th century will help to understand the reasons for such a composition and more accurately date the “Adoration of the Magi” Art researchers relate the time of creation to 1475-1478 years. And it can be assumed that only one significant event that occurred at the end of this period could be reflected in the picture. In April 1478, a group of conspirators led by the Pazzi family attacked the Medici brothers to seize power in the city. They managed to kill one of them, Giuliano, but the ruler of the city Lorenzo the Magnificent escaped thanks to the help of the poet Angelo Poliziano. The conspiracy was crushed with extraordinary cruelty, and subsequently the Medici opponents were subjected to constant harassment.

"Denial of confession" by Ilya Repin
Vasily Ivanovich Surikov is a great Russian historical painter, but all he has to say about him is not enough: the national genius embodied in the art of Surikov. The…

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Antoine Bourdelle and Aristide Maillol - antiquity in the works
Antoine Bourdelle and Aristide Mayol. What binds them? That they were born in the same year - 1861st? That both are French? Or that they are outstanding sculptors and are…

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"Denial of confession" by Ilya Repin
The man was brought to execution. After several months of imprisonment, he was pale. Around the roaring crowd. - Villain, crazy! In the king himself shot! - God saved his…

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