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Around 1469, a wealthy money changer commissioned

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a young painter named Sandro Botticelli

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to paint an altar piece.

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Botticelli would, of course, become known

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as one of the greatest painters of the High Renaissance,

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producing works like "La Primavera"

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and "The Birth of Venus."

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But, in 1469, he had not yet earned this reputation.

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The scene this young artist set out to paint was well-known:

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the Three Wise Men, or Magi,

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arriving at the birth place of Jesus Christ.

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Botticelli would aspire to take this common theme

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and produce an entirely original work,

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while asserting himself

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among the most important citizens of Florence.

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Many earlier paintings illustrate the Magi

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arriving at a stable, stately manger,

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fitting for the son of God.

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The young Botticelli, however, chose

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to place the scene in the dilapidated Roman ruin.

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At the center of this structure,

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he placed a sturdy rock for Mary and Jesus

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to sit high above their visitors.

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With this decision, Botticelli seemed to say

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Christianity will be built on sturdier stuff than Rome.

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Botticelli then populated the space

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with important men from his city.

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On the right side, he paints the man

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who paid for this work, Gaspare del Lama,

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looking out at the viewer

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and confidently pointing at himself

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so that there is no question

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who is responsible for this masterpiece.

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Though born the son of a barber,

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del Lama amassed a good sum of money

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through currency exchange in his lifetime.

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He earned enough money to buy a burial chapel

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and decorate it with a pretty painting.

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The Three Wise Men appear at the center of this painting,

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kneeling to Mary and Jesus.

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As models for these important figures,

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Botticelli used members of the important Medici family.

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Del Lama's career as a money changer

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would not have been possible

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without the help of the powerful Medici family,

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in particular Cosimo de' Medici,

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who appears prominently at Mary's feet.

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The other wise men can be identified

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as Piero and Giovanni de' Medici,

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Cosimo's two sons.

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The business of money exchange

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had dubious ethical and legal associations,

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so the friendship of this powerful family was important.

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And the young heir to Medici power, Lorenzo,

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could not be omitted from this painting's composition.

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He appears to the left of the manger.

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This painting seems to say

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the Medici legacy, with its many healthy heirs,

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will be built on sturdier stuff than Rome.

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Botticelli then filled the rest of the space

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with other friends and powerful figures from Florence.

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And, among the Florentine elite,

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the young, confident artist painted himself

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looking directly at the viewer.

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Botticelli's presence in this painting

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illustrates a radical shift in the perception

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of artists during this time period.

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Botticelli did not view himself

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as a common craftsman hired for a simple job.

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He viewed himself as a friend

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to the powerful families of Florence.

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Paintings like "The Adoration of the Magi"

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reveal much more than a simple retelling of a biblical story.

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They can tell the story of, among other things,

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a modestly-born money changer

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attempting to spend his money virtuously

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by making a local chapel more beautiful,

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or the story of an ambitious young painter,

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elevating the reputation of his craft

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to stand among the wealthy elite of his city.