Nicola Viso, The Adoration of the Magi, Oil on Canvas, 18th Century, Framed

Nicola Viso, (active 1724 – 1742)
Title: The adoration of the magi
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: without frame 63 x 100 cm – with frame 76.5 x 114.7 x 4.5 cm
Signed “N. Viso. f” lower right.

Expertise by Professor Giancarlo Sestieri

In front of the ruins of ancient architecture, there is Virgin Mary wearing a red and blue robe, holding the boy Jesus in her arms on a white cloth, both are emphasised by a golden nimbus. She receives the gifts of two holy kings, which are brought to her on both sides in front of her, the kings with their long cloaks being helped by two pages. The third king comes from the left in a noble robe with a turban, holding a precious golden chalice in his hand, while a page behind him holds his long cloak, as with the other kings. Behind Mary, to the right, Joseph standing with a long wooden staff, dressed in blue and beige, while in front of him servants fetch further gifts from a chest. Behind them are two waiting camels. On the opposite side, where a tall, twisted tree rises into the sky as a repoussoir, two more gift bearers with horses can be recognised, preceded by a dog. A palace can be seen in the centre of the background, as well as several mountains in the distance to the left, in the light of the yellowish setting sun. According to Sestieri, the artist knew how to harmoniously combine his skills as a landscape painter with his ability to create loose figuration and his adherence to the genre of the ‘architectural capriccio’. He can be seen as an indirect continuator of the works of Viviano Codazzi (1604-1670) and Domenico Gargiulo (1609/10-around 1675) from the 17th century, which were a cornerstone of this particular genre.