The magnificent and solemn Procession of the Magi portrayed by Gozzoli in
the chapel of Palazzo Medici, sets off from Jerusalem – the white fortified
city which can be seen aloft on the right-hand side on entering – and
stretches out towards Bethlehem, taht is towards the scarsella.
The Magi, each occupying one wall of the main room, are portrayed in the traditional
manner: Gaspar is the youngest, dressed in white, Balthasar, in green, is a
dark-skinned man of mature years, while the eldest Melchior, in red, leads
the procession.
The choice of the subject can be explained by the interest which the Medici
revealed in the story of the Magi. Effectively the family were patrons of the
Confraternita dei Magi which had its headquarters in the nearby convent of
San Marco and every year organised a lavish re-enactment of the gospel story
on the day of the Epiphany, with a long procession in costume passing along
Via Larga in front of the family mansion. Gozzoli’s fresco may even be
considered a reflection of this spectacular celebration.
The procession illustrated in the Chapel of the Magi features many extremely
vivid portraits, although they are not always easy to identify. These transport
the religious subject to the contemporary setting of fifteenth-century Medici
Florence.
The
young Gaspar, who symbolises the ascent of the Medici family, leads a group
in which, among others, members of the Medici family itself are portrayed:
in the foreground, the elderly Cosimo on a mule, and his son Piero on horseback
with a red hat; in the second row, we can see Piero’s sons including
Lorenzo (the future Lorenzo il Magnifico) at the age of ten.
Behind these we find the self-portrait of Benozzo Gozzoli, with his name written
in gold lettering on his beret.
In the fresco, the solid perspective layout of the composition is blended with
a richness of detail and the taste of a narration at once worldly and fabulous.
The faces of the personages - portraits of the Medici, and also of their allies,
collaborators and illustrious guests – the florid and varied landscape,
the plants and flowers, the animals, some of them exotic, the costumes, the
jewellery, the harness, invite the observer to dwell on the infinite details,
and to admire the preciousness of this lively and minutely detailed description.
To produce this effect of sumptuous magnificence, the artist used rare
and costly materials, such as lapislazuli for the azure backgrounds, shiny lacquers,
and gold glittering in the flickering light of the candles.
The variegated charm of Gozzoli’s fresco also extends to a wealth of symbolic
meanings concealed in the figures of the Three Kings. The Magi trio
effectively symbolises the three ages of man, the seasons (with the exclusion
of winter), the times of the day (dawn, midday, sunset), the parts of the world
(those then known, Europe, Africa and Asia) and the phases of time (past, present
and future). As well as this, the colours (red, green and white) in which the
three kings are dressed may allude to the Medici emblems, as well as to the
theological virtues (Faith, Hope and Charity).