Adoration of the Magi (Armadio degli Argenti)

Fra Angelico produced a large number of small frescoes to decorate a silver chest known locally as the Armadio degli Argenti. The item was to be found within a Florentine church and during the 1440s it received a considerable makeover. Many artists were brought in to complete a variety of projects which greatily improved its artistic display.

All of the panels were grouped together into a few arrangements, normally in rows of three or four at a time. The artwork found here displays the famous scene of the Adoration of the Magi and the overall display focuses on the life of Christ. The same row featured Circumcision and Presentation of Christ at the Temple. The paintings are each sized at around 37cm or so in height and width, ensuring a consistent grid layout for each collection of paintings, each of which were then attached to the side of the chest. Inside were a number of compartments that stored silver jewellery which had been gifted to the church by generous visitors. They were excited by the art already found within the church and decided to leave tokens of their appreciation. Specifically, this church was titled Santissima Annunziata and its overall restoration was completed in around December, 1452. Therefore, Fra Angelico's own role came right towards the end of the overall project.

Fra Angelico himself took on this challenge between the years of 1450-1452. He was courted by Piero di Cosimo de' Medici to complete around 35 small artworks for this display and he would return from Rome to start work on this new commission. The likes of Michelozzo would also be involved with projects elsewhere in the same building. Adoration of the Magi was a topic featured by Fra Angelico several times, but this iteration had to fit the overall style of the project. We find a straw coloured building standing prominently at the back of this painting, with a good number of figures in front of it. There is a series of rolling hills across the background, with bright blue sky and some small buildings which suggest some neighbouring villages. Trees are then placed just behind the building in front of us which helps to create a feeling of perspective.

As we know today, Fra Angelico also produced another version of Adoration of the Magi, although that version was not connected to this project. Religion runs throughout his work and during the mid 15th century it was the Italian churches which could offer most of the highest paying commissions. Wealth would spread over the next few centuries and this enabled other wealthy institutions and individuals to also call upon the services of the great artists. That brought about the additional benefit of widening the oeuvres of these different movements so that new genres would feature for the first time, including specialist landscape art and also different types of portraiture.