Adoration of the Magi
Medium
Chiaroscuro woodcut from three blocks in green
Dimensions
Sheet: 13 3/8 × 9 7/8 in. (34 × 25.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1917
Accession Number
22.73.3-68
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Adoration of the Magi a captivating chiaroscuro woodcut between 1540 and 1550 by the visionary Mannerist painter Parmigianino (Girol Francesco Maria Mazzola) collaboration with master printmaker Niccolòentino. This biblical scene depicts the Three Wise Men presenting gifts to the infant Christ, rendered with Parmigianino's signature elegance—elongated figures, graceful poses, and a sense of movement that defined the Mannerist style emerging from the High Renaissance. What makes this print extraordinary is its innovative medium: a chiaroscuro woodcut from three blocks, all toned in...