Adoration of the Magi

Giovanni d'Alemagna's Adoration of the Magi, painted around 1446 and now in the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, is by a German-born Venetian painter — his name means 'Giovanni of Germany' — who collaborated extensively with Antonio Vivarini and played an important role in introducing German late Gothic elements into Venetian painting. Giovanni d'Alemagna and Antonio Vivarini produced a series of polyptych altarpieces that are among the most important works in Venetian painting of the 1440s and 1450s. The Adoration of the Magi gave both artists the opportunity to depict elaborate costume, exotic figures, and the contrast between the humble Nativity setting and the splendor of royal visitors.

Tempera on panel with the elaborate Gothic decorative quality characteristic of the Giovanni d'Alemagna/Vivarini collaboration. The Adoration composition features richly dressed Magi with elaborate crowns and gifts, set against a complex landscape or architectural background.