Angels Worshipping (detail) 1461

Editor: Benozzo Gozzoli's "Angels Worshipping," a fresco from 1461, is so striking! The sheer number of figures, all these delicate angels in this idyllic landscape... It feels almost like a theatrical production. What do you make of the way Gozzoli presents this scene? Curator: It’s crucial to see this within its original context, part of the chapel frescoes in the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi. This wasn’t simply religious art; it was a very public display of the Medici family's power and piety. Think about the political landscape of Florence at the time. What would such a lavish display communicate to the city's inhabitants? Editor: That they had immense wealth and influence, clearly. But how did that impact the art itself? Curator: Precisely! The commission served specific needs. The Medici wanted to present themselves as divinely favored, associating themselves with religious authority during a period of significant political maneuvering. The inclusion of angels isn't just about religious devotion; it's about elevating the Medici family within the social hierarchy of Florence. Do you see how Gozzoli’s fresco can be interpreted beyond its apparent religious subject matter? Editor: I never thought about the landscape representing power. Seeing it that way… the idealisation makes sense, almost like stage-setting. It gives a totally new dimension. Curator: Exactly. And understanding the institutional framework that supported works such as these shows us how art, even ostensibly religious art, played a vital public role in reinforcing social and political structures. Editor: Thanks, I get it. Now, when I look at this work, I'll definitely think more deeply about how Gozzoli was shaped by, and how it then shaped, the world around it!