Procession of the Magus Caspar (detail) 1461

Benozzo Gozzoli painted this section of the ‘Procession of the Magus Caspar’ sometime in the mid-fifteenth century. It’s a fresco, meaning it was painted directly onto wet plaster. The subject, of course, is religious. The Three Magi are said to have visited the infant Jesus shortly after his birth, bearing gifts and acknowledging his divine status. But Gozzoli's depiction is rooted in the culture of Renaissance Italy. The artist was commissioned by the Medici family, who were effectively the rulers of Florence at this time, and the painting served as a form of self-promotion for them. Details of the landscape, the clothing, and the animals all reflect the Medici's wealth and power. The historical sources around the Medici family and Renaissance Florence offer a valuable insight into how art was used to shape public perception and legitimize authority. To truly understand this artwork, we need to delve into the social, political, and economic forces that shaped its creation.