Cosimo Rosselli (1439 – 1507)

The Adoration of the Infant Christ

Rome, about 1480

Tempera on wood

177.8 x 149.5 cm

This is the main panel of an altarpiece.  A complex group of figures is gathered within a beautiful landscape.  Three saints surround the infant Christ: Jerome with his chest bared; Francis in the grey habit; and Benedict in the dark robe. 

In the foreground, the three Magi with their gifts kneel in adoration.  Above, are God the Father and the dove which symbolises the Holy Spirit.  In the hills to the left, an angel appears to the shepherds.

The incomplete figure of Saint Joseph to the right indicates that the panel has been cut and reshaped.

Purchased 1965 (No.65.7)

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15 December 2020