The Adoration of the Kings

Vincenzo Foppa painted this Adoration of the Kings around 1500 in Milan during his twilight years as the father of Lombard painting. Before Leonardo's arrival in Milan, Foppa had established the dominant style of the region with his sober, monumental approach. His late works maintain the dignified restraint that characterized his entire career. The oil medium allowed for rich tonal transitions and glazed layers of color that created luminous depth impossible with the older tempera technique. Such devotional panels served both liturgical contexts in churches and chapels and private devotional use in the homes of wealthy families who maintained personal altars and oratories.

Oil on panel with Foppa's characteristic restrained palette and sculptural figure modeling. The three kings' procession is staged with the austere dignity that defines Foppa's approach to narrative painting.