Adoration of the Magi

The Adoration of the Magi, an undated canvas by Alessandro Turchi held at the Castelvecchio Museum in Verona — the great civic collection of his hometown — belongs to the series of devotional subjects that formed the backbone of Turchi's production throughout his career. The Castelvecchio holds several works by Turchi, reflecting the natural concentration of an artist's output in his native city and the esteem in which his work was held in Verona even after his relocation to Rome. The Adoration of the Magi was one of the most iconographically complex and visually rich of New Testament subjects: the arrival of the Magi (Matthew 2) provided occasion to depict exotic costumes, diverse races, rich gifts, animals, and architectural settings — a pageant in paint. Turchi's version, whatever its precise date, would have engaged the challenge of coordinating a large multi-figure composition while sustaining the devotional focus on the central act of homage. His training in Verona under Felice Brusasorci gave him a strong foundation in the organization of complex figural groups.

Canvas with oil paint organized as a multi-figure scene across a broad horizontal or vertical format. Turchi's smooth modeling technique handles the varied costumes and accessories of the Magi with the attention to material texture characteristic of his work. Spatial organization leads the eye from the procession of visitors to the central focus of the Virgin, Child, and act of homage.