Introduction
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is among the most well-known art institutions in the world. The museum was established in 1870 to provide art and arts programs to the citizens of the United States. The main structure in New York City is located on Manhattan’s Upper Eastside. Its exhibitions offer a wide range of magnificent décor, from ancient Roman to contemporary. The institution’s current collections include artwork from earlier western ages as well as Egyptians. There is also a vast collection of local and foreign pieces of art, including drawings and statues that were done by western professionals, such as John Singleton Copley, Gilbert Stuart, Benvenuto Cellini and others (Navarrete and Elena 223). Pacific, Asian, Byzantium, Islamic, and African art are exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The museum exhibits an extensive collection of acoustic instruments, clothing, decorations, as well as ancient weaponry and ammunition from all over the world. The art The Journey of the Magi, painted by Stefano di Giovanni, a Byzantine artwork, will be the focus of this research.
The Intersection of Humanity and the Divine in the Artwork
The eastern orthodox component from Catholicism and medieval Greek beliefs arose and flourished in Byzantine art. Ancient techniques and symbolism in the artwork were used to represent them aesthetically (Maguire 13). The Byzantine capital, Constantinople, was adorned with a large assortment of antique statues, and Byzantine artwork rarely failed of its customary legacy. Which eventually caused concern among the city’s citizens (Maguire 13). The subjects of enormous Byzantine artwork were predominantly religious and aristocratic.
On the other hand, religious artwork was not restricted to the magnificent adornment of cathedral buildings. The Medici family was a wealthy Italian dynasty that controlled Florence and eventually Tuscany between 1434 and 1737 (Maguire 13). The Journey of the Magi is fundamentally a historical artifact depicting the governing elites of Medici during its renaissance whenever the town was the epicenter of emerging humanitarianism.
This artwork, painted by the preeminent artist of 15th century Siena, depicts the three Magi traveling to Bethlehem to honor Messiah. It is a shatter from a tiny art piece depicting the visitation of the Magi. Stefano di Giovanni, often recognized as Sassetta, was raised in Siena around 1450. He was the artist who painted the Journey of the Magi artwork. Di Giovanni was most likely Paolo di Giovanni’s disciple, although he could have trained alongside Benedetto di Bindo. He was a painter who worked in the moderately Sienese Classic school (Boersma 20). The narrative of the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12) is well-known since it is recited annually, together with the baptism of Christ (Matthew 3:13-17). The canonical and non-canonical periods overlap in the year, putting manifestation and Christ’s baptismal in direct range. Guests “from out of town” appear at Mary and Joseph at the manger, where the tiny infant is cared for. They left after hearing the King, and behold, the star they had seen in the east preceded them until it appeared over the infant Christ (Mathew 2:1-12). After they saw the star, they were filled with ecstasy.
The three Magi offered to baby Jesus gold, frankincense, and myrrh as presents. The canonical ideas of Christmas are numerous, so they increase when studied from the perspective of baptism (Boersma 22). The Magi narrative was portrayed in two pieces by Italian artist Stefano di Giovanni (Boersma 22). At the top of the frame, they are moving away from the pinkish town of Jerusalem. Where they have met with Herod and his council, they travel downward and gradually descend from the right region of the frame. The magi approach the dwelling at the bottom, wherein Mary rests in the entrance with the Holy Child on her bosom. The existence of the illuminating star underneath the hooves of the Magi’s horses can be explained by looking at the second frame.
The star’s light travels downwards towards the bottom edge of the upper frame. When the two frames are viewed simultaneously, the positioning of the star is revealed. As the Gospel of Matthew predicts, the star is right to the top of the Infant Jesus in the bottom panel (Matthew 2:16–18). The Magi’s mission was to locate the ruler who had been conceived. When they set out on their expedition, they were aware of the ruler (Matthew 2:16–18). They had no idea where they were going, but they were confident they would find Jesus. People thought they possessed daydreaming, pessimism, and stupid attributes for embarking on the journey based on a star.
The adventure has a theatrical feel in Sassetta’s retelling of the scenario. A monkey sits on the top of a horse in the traveling panel, somewhere to the right of the margin. A gentleman in a pinkish garment is seated on his horseback with a flying eagle riding on his shoulder, with a slew of men and ponies following him. The convoy is accompanied by two dogs, one white and the other brown. The terrain is sparse, with only the solitary withered shrub, yet various birds can be seen. This was not a comfortable journey since it took them across prairies and desolation.
It was never an easy journey because it took them across the hills and valleys of Arabia and Jerusalem. Supposed it was not as safe as traveling through the center of a bandit and clipper-infested country. As a security guarantee, the movement took place via a lengthy troop route via the bandit-infested highlands. Christ was commissioned to minister at his baptismal, and he embarked on a quest that resembles that of a dreamer quite like those of the magi (Matthew 2:16–18). He had a clear goal in mind and was committed to seeing it through (Matthew 2:16–18). To embark on such a voyage, a person might need to become more than a fanatic. Christening is, without a doubt, both a duty to outreach and a calling to a search for Christ so that we can glorify him. King Herod the Great mercilessly slaughtered babies indiscriminately (McGinn). The king kills the divine messenger, which is seen as menacing (McGinn). As a result, due to his action he is a danger to Christ.
Whether political or economic, exponents of world domination are usually connected with Devil in the Gospel of Matthew, whereas the underprivileged are portrayed as those Christ’s followers must empathize with. In this sense, the magi were traditionally regarded as King’s servants “from the East” and were affiliated with the monarchy (Matthew 2:1–12). King Herod gathers the Magi, dispatches them to Bethlehem, and issues command to them (Matthew 2:1–12). He considers the Magi as ordinary subordinates who would also do what they are instructed, rather than foreign diplomats.
Though the king desired to know the location of the new ruler, the only intent of the magi was to worship the newborn. At this point, the magi’s adoration of Christ reveals the theme of total submission. In their words, the child is “the one who has been born king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:1). Instead of following the strict orders of the king Herod, whose command implied finding the new ruler and killing him, the magi respected the new leader (Matthew 2:1). The spell casters in the palace were called magi in Jewish midrash (Schaser 425). It can be assumed that with such narration and contrast between the good, the newborn, and the bad, the malicious king, is the representation of the Devil and God.
Eventually, they get the offering of the magi’s presents to Christ from their treasuries. All three presents are regular contributions and gifts to a ruler and are vital for understanding the biblical motives. Myrrh is a typical anointing oil, frankincense is a fragrant, and gold is a value. The three presents each had a religious value: gold as a metaphor for earthly sovereignty, frankincense (a fragrance) as divinity, and myrrh (a medicinal ointment) as a metaphor for life. Throughout the fifteenth century, myrrh was utilized as a preserving lotion and as a ritual fragrance at burials and crematoriums. The Byzantine Religion’s “sacred ointment” for conducting the rituals of chrismation and anointing is customarily perfumed with myrrh (Boersma 21). Accepting these rituals is frequently alluded to as “taking the myrrh” (Boersma 21). In most protestants denominations, the journey of the Magi is honored by the celebration of Christmas on January 6, which also functions as the commemoration of the trio as martyrs. On December 25, the Catholics commemorate the Magi’s journey (Boersma 21). The birth of Christ meant the end of the realms of mysticism, astronomy, and mythology.
The gospel of Matthew does not mention a timeframe between the conception and the path. However, artistic illustration and the proximity of the traditional biblical dates of December 25 and January 6 promote the renowned insinuation that the journey occurred the same winter as the conception. Yet, more extensive belief systems differed, with the journey lasting around two snows to completion. This limited age range explains Herod’s demand and included male children as young as two years old in the Killing of the Innocent lives (Matthew 2:16–18). Later critics, who are not bound by the customary festive occasions, may propose a range of durations.
Remarkably, Matthew specifies no terms of receiving, as would be common mostly in medieval times. Neither does he refer to any pledge of ultimate exchange that could guide the reader to believe that the presents left Christ and his parents indebted to the Magi (Matthew 2:6). The exchange of treasures without the promise of returns implies recognizing a distinction in standing. An exchanging of presents amongst monarchical statures would have been suitable. By paying respect, the Magi imply that the child is the future “shepherd” of the people of Israel and now they are his servants (Matthew 2:6). In sum, Matthew describes them as respectful, modest, and submitting.
The theory of conferring the name of magi on these men appears to have its roots in the polytheism of non-Christian belief systems. Magi is the plural form of the Greek word Magus, which has been in use since at least the 4th millennium B.C. it was characterized by whatever the Ancient Greece society saw as believers of the even older spirituality of Zoroastrianism (Boersma 23). These men had the power to read themes and patterns in the sky and even control people’s fates based on what the stars predicted. Such believers were referred to as Magians (Boersma 23). After all, such men are now called astronomers, wizards, or simply deceivers, but the Christian Church still regards them with mistrust and condemnation. These magi were thought to be Persian royal astrologists, rendering them both mysterious and capable of following the scriptural star to the spot they would worship well before Infant Jesus. Furthermore, it was claimed that the magi were clergy who belonged to a druid sect known as the Mithras cult.
Conclusion
This writing has attempted to decipher the mythology and imagery. That has accompanied the spread of the narrative of the magi’s worship from its Eastern and Greek origins to its contemporary Christian understanding. The study has scrutinized the origin of the word ‘magi,’ how it had arrived at us and what it presently implies in modern culture. As well as variations in the narrative of the journey of magi. The evolving symbolism underlying interpretations of the event and the many implications behind these variations in artwork have been examined in this article. The research has moved on to a short conversation about the importance of magi’s presents to the Infant Jesus.
Regarding this investigation of the narrative’s essential origins and what kind of an impact the report has. As people know it, it has on the bible account. To investigate this last issue, I used to reprint several bible verses better to explain the differences between them and the illustration imagery. In the concluding part of my article, I have explored what individuals need to get this narrative to represent. People cling to the mythological version instead of the bible account in modern secular civilization. The difference between imagery and words demonstrates that the influence of imagery has won in contemporary culture. As it has accomplished in portrayals of this event over the last 200 years. In today’s secular society, we are most probably to get the understanding from artwork museums than from the Bible.
Works Cited
Boersma, Gerald P. “Death in Life at Christmas: TS Eliot’s” Journey of the Magi.” Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture, vol. 23, no. 1, 2020, pp. 20-34.
Maguire, Henry. Art and eloquence in Byzantium. Princeton University Press, 2019.
McGinn, Thomas AJ. “Herod the Great and the Iudicium Domesticum: Legal Pluralism to Die For.” The Journal of Legal History, vol. 40, no. 2, 2019, pp. 155-181.
Navarrete, Trilce, and Elena Villaespesa. “Digital Heritage Consumption: The Case of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.” Magazén, vol. 1, no. 2, 2020, pp. 223.
Schaser, Nicholas J. “Israel and the Individual in Matthew and Midrash: Reassessing “True Israel.” Religions, vol. 12, no. 6, 2021, pp. 425.