Adoration of the Magi
Medium
Chiaroscuro woodcut from three blocks in blue
Dimensions
Sheet: 13 7/8 × 10 1/16 in. (35.2 × 25.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1917
Accession Number
17.50.11
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Adoration of the Magi a captivating chiaroscuro woodcut created between 1540 and 1550 by the masterful collaboration of Parmigianino (Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola), a leading Mannerist painter, and engraver Niccolò Vic. This print depicts the biblical scene of the three wise men presenting gifts to the infant Christ, rendered with Parmigianino's elegant, figures and graceful compositions characteristic of the Mannerist style—a sophisticated evolution from High Renaissance ideals, emphasizing refinement and emotional intensity. What makes this work extraordinary is its innovati...