Finally, in the background of this picture he has painted the embattled
walls of a Guelph city with two massive gates; the one through which the
Magi have entered, the other through which they will take their
departure. Is there anything here, either in the foreground or the
background that suggests Jerusalem? Do you not notice rather a
resemblance to the fortifications of Milan, with the Porta Romana and
the Porta San-Lorenzo?

[Illustration: ADORATION OF THE MAGI.
_Fabriano_.]

After having painted the frescoes of the Cathedral of Orvieto, Gentile
lived for a long time in the north of Italy, particularly in Venice. It
is very likely that while there, closer to the Orient and more
especially nearer to Milan, he painted his _Adoration of the Magi_. We
may then certainly consider this as a faithful portrayal of one of those
public ceremonials, which without doubt he had witnessed, and in which
he had most likely participated. Only, ignoring the passions and
violence of the period, he left everywhere in this painting the imprint
of his own gentle and tender nature. We know that Michael Angelo
remarked of Gentile that his name was in perfect harmony with the tone
of his works. None of them can more thoroughly convince us of the
justice of this observation than this picture. From the Virgin herself
to the most humble of the servants of the Magi, and indeed even to the
animals, that beautiful soul which had for its servant a talent replete
with delicacy and suavity may be traced.[6]

_Les Vierges de Raphaël_ (Paris, 1869).

FOOTNOTES: