Who painted The Adoration of the Magi?

The Adoration of the Magi was painted by Andrea della Robbia.

Where can I see The Adoration of the Magi?

The Adoration of the Magi is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

Artwork

The Adoration of the Magi

The Adoration of the Magi is a work on paper by Andrea della Robbia. It is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

This altarpiece shows the Three Wise Men kneeling before the baby Jesus.
It was made by Andrea della Robbia in Florence early in the 1500s.
The artist’s family ran a pottery workshop famous for colorful glazed reliefs.

The shield on the frame belongs to the Albizzi family.
They paid for church work in Florence around 1500.

Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Overview

Andrea della Robbia’s early‑sixteenth‑century altarpiece, created in Florence, depicts the three Magi kneeling before the infant Christ. Executed in the family’s characteristic tin‑glazed terracotta, the work combines sculptural relief with vivid polychrome glazing, a hallmark of Andrea’s mature style.

Subject & Meaning

The scene illustrates the traditional Adoration of the Magi, emphasizing the reverence of the foreign kings toward the newborn savior. By placing the donors’ heraldic shield within the composition, the piece also acknowledges the patron’s role in the devotional act.

Technique & Style

Andrea della Robbia expanded upon his uncle Luca’s innovations by employing more intricate arrangements and a broader palette of glazes. The relief’s three‑dimensional modeling, coupled with the glossy, multicolored surface, reflects the workshop’s mastery of tin‑glazed terracotta, a technique pioneered in the early fifteenth century.

History & Provenance

The altarpiece bears the coat of arms of the Albizzi family, suggesting it was commissioned for a Florentine church under their patronage, likely S Michele or S Andrea in Rovezzano at the close of the 1400s. The work remained in the region before entering the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Context

Its composition draws on Umbrian precedents, notably Perugino’s 1475 Adoration altarpiece in Perugia, indicating a cross‑regional dialogue in the depiction of this biblical episode. The Della Robbia workshop’s prominence in Florence positioned it as a key conduit for disseminating the glazed terracotta medium across Italy.