Adoration of the Magi , Domenico Ghirlandaio (Florence 1449 - 1494) ,  1487  Museum  The Uffizi Technique  Tempera on panel Size  171.5 cm (diameter) The homage of the Magi to the newly born Saviour is set against a backdrop dominated by the ruins of an ancient building, with the stable where Jesus was born in the middle. It is a recurring setting in paintings of the Nativity and the Adoration of the Christ Child, and one that alludes to the birth of Christianity and the collapse of pagan religion. The decorative friezes on the portico are inspired by ancient Roman art, which Domenico Ghirlandaio was able to admire on his travels to Rome where, among other things, he worked on the decorations of the Sistine Chapel in St Peter’s...

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