Caption:
The Journey of the Magi. Artist: Sassetta (Stefano di Giovanni) (Italian, Siena or Cortona ca. 1400-1450 Siena). Dimensions: 8 1/2 x 11 3/4 in. (21.6 x 29.8 cm). Date: ca. 1433-35.
This scene, by the leading painter of fifteenth-century Siena, shows the three magi journeying to Bethlehem to worship Christ. It is a fragment from a small altarpiece showing the Adoration of the Magi. Originally, the star was shown above the tiled roof of the stable. The fur-lined hat worn by the magus in pink was inspired by the visit to Siena in 1432 of King Sigismund of Hungary. The picture may date about 1433-35. For more information about this painting and the other panel from the altarpiece, visit metmuseum.org.