This intimately scaled painting shows a scene from the New Testament: three magi, sometimes referred to as wise men, and a crowd of onlookers flock to celebrate the birth of the infant Jesus Christ. The Madonna is seated in the center foreground, holding the Christ child, as Joseph stands behind her, silhouetted against the cave’s dark entrance. They are surrounded by the magi; a group of followers extends into the distant landscape. The artist, Benvenuto Tisi, articulated the figures with bright jewel tones and precise outlines.
