Odd that there is always so much controversy over the identities of the three kings in the Procession of the Magi. The fellow above is often referred to as Melchior, though in Italy he is known as Baldassare (Balthazar). What is generally accepted is that this figure is probably a portrait of Emperor John VIII Palaiologos of the Byzantine Empire. And how did he wind up in a painting in Florence, Italy? Well, it’s complicated, all having to do with Medici influence, the Emperor’s need for help from the Western Church, and the power of art.
Here is the leader of the House of Medici, Cosimo, the Elder, who after having been first imprisoned, bribed his way to freedom and took off to Venice in 1433 for a year of exile. However, he was called back to Florence where he went about reestablishing his power. It just so happened that a great council was called around 1438 to form an alliance between the two parts of the Christian Church. The original site for this council was to be Ferrara, but it and the main port, Venice (La Serenissima), were stricken with plague. Cosimo stepped in and offered up his city for this great meeting of East and West, so all these oriental potentates wound up in Florence.
The Florentines had never seen anything like it, especially the extreme luxury of the clothing and jewels. The Emperor of the East ruled by divine right, with none of this being elected like the Pope, or being a lowly merchant prince like the Medici. He only needed their money to stave off the Muslim Turks, who yes, did finally sack his city, Constantinople (now Istanbul), in 1453. However, back in the late 1430s, Florence was treated to the spectacle of the royalty of the Orient, which made a lasting and useful impression.
The merchant princes of the Middle Ages and Early Renaissance had to tread carefully as there were Usury and Sumptuary Laws. For instance, the early banks set themselves up in the market places, often little more than a table or board (banco) with a green cloth spread over it. They could not pay interest on the money deposited with them but instead gave monetary “gifts” at the end of the year. A gift certainly could not be usury, could it? Likewise, great displays of elegant clothing, jewels, furs, etc. were reined in by laws limiting such sumptuous displays. And yet, all of this existed in a Florence, where great wealth showed itself in rather magical ways, especially involving the arts.
So what do you do when the Archbishop (Antonino, in this case) declares that sacred pictures should not feature exotic items, wild animals like monkeys and leopards, and other frivolities? Well, you choose a theme that allows you to do that as part of telling the holy story. You have one of your favorite painters do a mural of the magi, following a great star, and bringing with them all the rich and exotic treasures of the Orient, which the whole of Florence knew to exist since they had seen them some years before when John VIII came to town. The Medici family and other notables (the Pope, local nobility from Milan and Rimini, etc) were painted as fellow travelers, trailing along on this long voyage, depicted in splendid colors on the eastern, southern, and western walls of a chapel-like room, and ending at an altar on the northern wall, where a painting by Fra Filippo Lippi showed the Virgin adoring her newborn infant. (For more on that painting see the vernellestudio.com/blog of December 1, 2019.) Voila! The Procession of the Magi
It was Benozzo Gozzoli (1421-1497), seen here painted into the grand processional, wh0 was tasked with creating this wonder of advertising hubris pretending to be piety. An artist who became one of the periods most prolific fresco painters, doing such feats as 25 murals representing the Old Testament in Pisa, for which they rewarded him with a tomb, Gozzoli made sure that he was well represented in the procession. He painted himself in different areas at least three times, here with Opus Benotti written on his red cap as a way of signing this masterpiece of a mural.
This lovely space is now called the Medici Chapel. However, Cosimo, the Elder, actually did business in that room (no wasted space at the palazzo). Unlike today when there is an entrance and exit to a chapel lit with electric light, in Cosimo’s day, there was one entrance and no natural light, only candlelight. Cosimo was known to put up a table with a green cloth over it and conduct his business deals as in the days when his father, Giovanni de Benci, set up shop in the market. Of course, Cosimo did his prayers at the altar in front of Lippi’s lovely virgin, but being ever practical, he put two important doors there, one on either side of that altar. One was to a safe room where the old man could bolt himself in if an emergency arose. The other was a passage that led to the outside of the stone palazzo’s bank vault like structure. All that said, it must have been truly wonderful to see this procession of riches with its bright colors and glimmers of gold dancing along in the flickering candlelight.
When you visit the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi these days, you are allowed only 20 minutes inside the chapel if with a tour group. However, since each tour member is given a separate ticket, you can use that to re-enter for another splendid few minutes with the zeitgeist of the 15th century. And if you are in the gift shop, you might want to get a copy of Medici Money by British author, Tim Parks, on the fabulous banking boys of 15th century Florence.
Paintings are in Public Domain.
Marjorie Vernelle is an artist, writer, college professor, and traveler. For more see the Pages at ofartandwine.com or her author page at amazon.com and her art at Vernelle Art Boutique vernellestudio.com.
AND NOW FOR ANOTHER GIFT OF THE ORIENT – SHIRAZ WINE.
As confusing as which name belongs to which king is the story of where Shiraz/Syrah wine comes from. The most often told legends go back to the Ancient Greeks and Persians. Shiraz was and is a city in Iran (Ancient Persia) known for making a deep red wine called Shirazi. In one version of the story, the Phocaean Greeks who were great sailors, traders, and settlers brought that wine and its grapes to the island of Sicily where it was cultivated near the city of Syracruse, from whence the grape took on the name Syrah. This ancient travel fits nicely with the idea of wine being transported from Persia by perhaps one of the wise men depicted in that famous procession of magi.
Whatever the story, and I am sure Persians and Greeks still debate the scenario, the Shiraz/Syrah grape from which this dark, rich berry wine is made wound up being cultivated most famously in the Côte du Rhone area in France. I use the combined name as the modern Syrah grape and the Shiraz grape would seem to be the same grape, though DNA studies of the genome have not been completed. Aside from being grown in the Cote du Rhone region in France, they are also grown in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys and in Washington State. This cool climate Shiraz/Syrah can come in both heavier or lighter versions, and berry desserts are marvelous with a glass of dark berry Shiraz.
Regardless of the history of the Shiraz/Syrah grape (more info on that can be found at thewinecellarinsider.com which has yet another tale of the origins of this grape), it produces a wine with a range of tastes from blackberry or blueberry to dark olive and pepper, depending upon whether it is mixed with Cabernet Sauvignon or Grenache grapes.
True it has a high alcohol content, but for the health conscious, it also is very high in antioxidants. The really great thing is that it goes so well with so many of our favorite cold weather, holiday time feasts, like grilled leg of lamb, braised chicken, roast duck or pork served with tangy sauces (but not sweet ones). Turkey or chicken with crispy skin and moist meat combined with cranberry or orange/cranberry relish works marvelously well with Shiraz.
BUT THE JOURNEY ISN’T OVER…
The next stop in this story is Australia. Yes, for those of us who feel oppressed by the holiday insistence on sparkling white wines – Champagne, Prosecco, etc. – the Aussies have come to our rescue as the primary producers of sparkling Shiraz. Go to vinepair.com for a variety of articles on this Australian favorite described in its high end form as “…a broad-shouldered, full-bodied, high alcohol [wine] with tingling, tickling, effervescence and just a whisper of off-dry sweetness.” Sounds good, doesn’t it? Just right for a Merry Christmas!
Since we are on the topic of wine at Christmas, let’s add giving to a worthwhile cause. Please check out the different wine club offerings at cellarswineclub.com Click here or go to the Of Art and Wine Pages – Cellars Wine Club. They have wines from the U.S. and around the world, a club for every taste and budget, a “no bad bottle” return policy, and a program of giving, where the you can select from a number of vetted charities to have Cellars donate 15% of your purchase.
So on that note, let me wish you all a very happy holiday season. Here’s to good art and good wine. Joy to the world, indeed!
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©marjorie vernelle 2019
Coming for New Year’s on Of Art and Wine: Maso di Banco, Giorgio di Chirico, and Prosecco.
Well, it is the New Year, a time when everything old is new again. Maso di Banco used chromatic perspective to show St. Sylvester slaying a dragon on his day, December 31st, and di Chirico used di Banco’s light and shadow technique in 20th century style. Best to view these paintings with a good glass of chilled Prosecco. Felice Anno Nuovo!