The Adoration of the Kings, and Christ on the Cross

Benedetto Bonfigli was the leading painter in Perugia before Perugino arrived, and his Adoration of the Kings with Crucifixion represents the dual-register devotional format common in Umbrian altarpieces of the 1460s–70s. The Adoration above and the Crucifixion below create a typological pairing: the Magi's recognition of Christ as king mirrored by his sacrificial death. Bonfigli's style blends the courtly elegance of Gentile da Fabriano's International Gothic inheritance with modest gestures toward Florentine volumetric modelling — a characteristic Umbrian synthesis before Perugino decisively reformed the local school.

Bonfigli works in tempera with gilded backgrounds, using the Umbrian tradition of delicate linear contours and localised colour. The Adoration group shows careful attention to costume variety among the Magi and their retinue, rendered with decorative precision. The Crucifixion below employs a simpler palette with more austere figural treatment.