Procession of the Magus Caspar (detail) 1461

Benozzo Gozzoli painted this detail of the Magus Caspar as part of a larger fresco cycle in the mid-15th century. Set against the backdrop of Renaissance Florence, this work reflects the city's burgeoning wealth and cultural exchange. The figure’s elaborate turban and luxurious fabrics are a clear nod to the exotic allure of the East, viewed through a Western lens. We are invited to consider how identity is constructed and perceived across cultures. The Magus, traditionally depicted as a wise man from afar, takes on the features of a Florentine youth, blurring the lines between the familiar and the foreign. This choice underscores the complex negotiation of identity that was occurring in Florence as it opened itself to the world. What does it mean to cast oneself, or those one knows, in the guise of the ‘other’? The painting acts as a reminder of the personal dimensions of cultural representation and exchange, inviting a dialogue between historical context and the ever-present realities of identity.