1 00:00:13,909 --> 00:00:16,685 Around 1469, a wealthy money changer commissioned 2 00:00:16,685 --> 00:00:18,547 a young painter named Sandro Botticelli 3 00:00:18,547 --> 00:00:19,883 to paint an altar piece. 4 00:00:19,883 --> 00:00:21,385 Botticelli would, of course, become known 5 00:00:21,385 --> 00:00:23,560 as one of the greatest painters of the High Renaissance, 6 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:25,179 producing works like "La Primavera" 7 00:00:25,179 --> 00:00:26,614 and "The Birth of Venus." 8 00:00:26,614 --> 00:00:30,393 But, in 1469, he had not yet earned this reputation. 9 00:00:30,393 --> 00:00:32,986 The scene this young artist set out to paint was well-known: 10 00:00:32,986 --> 00:00:34,822 the Three Wise Men, or Magi, 11 00:00:34,822 --> 00:00:37,268 arriving at the birth place of Jesus Christ. 12 00:00:37,268 --> 00:00:39,482 Botticelli would aspire to take this common theme 13 00:00:39,482 --> 00:00:41,656 and produce an entirely original work, 14 00:00:41,656 --> 00:00:42,578 while asserting himself 15 00:00:42,578 --> 00:00:45,199 among the most important citizens of Florence. 16 00:00:45,199 --> 00:00:47,289 Many earlier paintings illustrate the Magi 17 00:00:47,289 --> 00:00:49,412 arriving at a stable, stately manger, 18 00:00:49,412 --> 00:00:50,945 fitting for the son of God. 19 00:00:50,945 --> 00:00:52,752 The young Botticelli, however, chose 20 00:00:52,752 --> 00:00:55,669 to place the scene in the dilapidated Roman ruin. 21 00:00:55,669 --> 00:00:56,923 At the center of this structure, 22 00:00:56,923 --> 00:00:58,925 he placed a sturdy rock for Mary and Jesus 23 00:00:58,925 --> 00:01:00,761 to sit high above their visitors. 24 00:01:00,761 --> 00:01:02,903 With this decision, Botticelli seemed to say 25 00:01:02,903 --> 00:01:05,794 Christianity will be built on sturdier stuff than Rome. 26 00:01:05,794 --> 00:01:07,761 Botticelli then populated the space 27 00:01:07,761 --> 00:01:09,394 with important men from his city. 28 00:01:09,394 --> 00:01:10,612 On the right side, he paints the man 29 00:01:10,612 --> 00:01:12,917 who paid for this work, Gaspare del Lama, 30 00:01:12,917 --> 00:01:14,035 looking out at the viewer 31 00:01:14,035 --> 00:01:15,560 and confidently pointing at himself 32 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:16,604 so that there is no question 33 00:01:16,604 --> 00:01:18,703 who is responsible for this masterpiece. 34 00:01:18,703 --> 00:01:20,263 Though born the son of a barber, 35 00:01:20,263 --> 00:01:22,068 del Lama amassed a good sum of money 36 00:01:22,068 --> 00:01:24,327 through currency exchange in his lifetime. 37 00:01:24,327 --> 00:01:26,161 He earned enough money to buy a burial chapel 38 00:01:26,161 --> 00:01:28,203 and decorate it with a pretty painting. 39 00:01:28,203 --> 00:01:30,415 The Three Wise Men appear at the center of this painting, 40 00:01:30,415 --> 00:01:31,917 kneeling to Mary and Jesus. 41 00:01:31,917 --> 00:01:33,626 As models for these important figures, 42 00:01:33,626 --> 00:01:36,831 Botticelli used members of the important Medici family. 43 00:01:36,831 --> 00:01:38,407 Del Lama's career as a money changer 44 00:01:38,407 --> 00:01:39,509 would not have been possible 45 00:01:39,509 --> 00:01:41,353 without the help of the powerful Medici family, 46 00:01:41,353 --> 00:01:43,335 in particular Cosimo de' Medici, 47 00:01:43,335 --> 00:01:45,387 who appears prominently at Mary's feet. 48 00:01:45,387 --> 00:01:47,009 The other wise men can be identified 49 00:01:47,009 --> 00:01:49,143 as Piero and Giovanni de' Medici, 50 00:01:49,143 --> 00:01:50,646 Cosimo's two sons. 51 00:01:50,646 --> 00:01:51,936 The business of money exchange 52 00:01:51,936 --> 00:01:54,605 had dubious ethical and legal associations, 53 00:01:54,605 --> 00:01:57,193 so the friendship of this powerful family was important. 54 00:01:57,193 --> 00:01:59,445 And the young heir to Medici power, Lorenzo, 55 00:01:59,445 --> 00:02:02,241 could not be omitted from this painting's composition. 56 00:02:02,241 --> 00:02:04,303 He appears to the left of the manger. 57 00:02:04,303 --> 00:02:05,981 This painting seems to say 58 00:02:05,981 --> 00:02:08,308 the Medici legacy, with its many healthy heirs, 59 00:02:08,308 --> 00:02:10,976 will be built on sturdier stuff than Rome. 60 00:02:10,976 --> 00:02:12,648 Botticelli then filled the rest of the space 61 00:02:12,648 --> 00:02:15,149 with other friends and powerful figures from Florence. 62 00:02:15,149 --> 00:02:16,683 And, among the Florentine elite, 63 00:02:16,683 --> 00:02:18,732 the young, confident artist painted himself 64 00:02:18,732 --> 00:02:20,527 looking directly at the viewer. 65 00:02:20,527 --> 00:02:22,196 Botticelli's presence in this painting 66 00:02:22,196 --> 00:02:24,031 illustrates a radical shift in the perception 67 00:02:24,031 --> 00:02:26,097 of artists during this time period. 68 00:02:26,097 --> 00:02:27,768 Botticelli did not view himself 69 00:02:27,768 --> 00:02:30,178 as a common craftsman hired for a simple job. 70 00:02:30,178 --> 00:02:31,416 He viewed himself as a friend 71 00:02:31,416 --> 00:02:33,697 to the powerful families of Florence. 72 00:02:33,697 --> 00:02:35,629 Paintings like "The Adoration of the Magi" 73 00:02:35,629 --> 00:02:38,601 reveal much more than a simple retelling of a biblical story. 74 00:02:38,601 --> 00:02:40,878 They can tell the story of, among other things, 75 00:02:40,878 --> 00:02:42,633 a modestly-born money changer 76 00:02:42,633 --> 00:02:44,552 attempting to spend his money virtuously 77 00:02:44,552 --> 00:02:46,899 by making a local chapel more beautiful, 78 00:02:46,899 --> 00:02:48,722 or the story of an ambitious young painter, 79 00:02:48,722 --> 00:02:50,349 elevating the reputation of his craft 80 00:02:50,349 --> 00:02:53,832 to stand among the wealthy elite of his city.