THE JOURNEY OF THE MAGI

The journey of the Magi, a widespread exhibition, continues inside the Pinacoteca with three works: the Adoration of the Magi by Titian (Room 1), the Adoration of the Magi by the master of the Holy Blood (Dante glass room),and the Adoration of the Magi by Morazzone (Room 15).
The itinerary ends in the crypt of San Sepolcro with a selection of Magi figures and three complete nativity scenes with Adoration of the Magi from the Dalmine Nativity Scene Museum.
The exhibition, visible until February 4, is included in the entrance ticket for the venues.

The Adoration of the Magi by Andrea Schiavone is considered one of the masterpieces of the Dalmatian painter and engraver, active in Venice between the 1640s and the early 1660s.
The composition is dominated by an imposing twisted column that stands out on the left, behind the king who, with a gesture of devotion, kneels to kiss the feet of the Child, held in the Madonna’s arms. The swirling movement of the figures imposes a tense and excited atmosphere on the scene, also reflected by the almost abstract setting, which pictorially transcends the mere imitation of nature.
An exquisite example of Venetian mannerist production, the work, executed around the middle of the 16th century, perfectly blends the formal elegance and sinuosity of Parmigianino’s models.

The conservative intervention carried out on the Adoration of the Magi by Andrea Schiavone offered the opportunity to deepen our knowledge of its history and the executive procedures adopted by the artist.
The delicate recovery work was supported by a detailed diagnostic campaign. The artist’s inventive process was investigated with advanced analytical techniques, highlighting for example some second thoughts that occurred during the sketch phase, and to precisely reconstruct the pictorial palette.
The cleaning phase, aimed at the selective and gradual removal of yellowed layers of paint, altered touch-ups and repaintings due to previous restorations, made it possible to recover the original pictorial material in its values ​​of brilliance and chromatic liveliness.

The exhibition itinerary ends inside the Crypt of San Sepolcro, where statues of Magi and nativity scenes made with different techniques and materials are displayed – from painted terracotta to papier-mâché, from soapstone, to painted plaster and ceramic – all coming from the Nativity Scene Museum of Dalmine (Bergamo).