Adoration of the Magi

Domenico Ghirlandaio's Adoration of the Magi, painted around 1485 for the Ospedale degli Innocenti (Foundling Hospital) in Florence, is one of his finest altarpieces. The painting, still in the museum of the Innocenti, demonstrates Ghirlandaio's gift for orchestrating large groups of precisely characterized figures within elaborate architectural settings. The Innocenti, designed by Brunelleschi, was one of Florence's most important charitable institutions.

Ghirlandaio demonstrates his mastery of multi-figure composition with precisely observed individual portraits amid the elaborate Epiphany procession, using clear Florentine draftsmanship and rich color within a carefully constructed spatial setting.