Adoration Of The Child With Saints 1455

Filippo Lippi painted “Adoration of the Child with Saints” in Florence in the mid-fifteenth century, using tempera on a wooden panel. In Renaissance Florence, religious art wasn't just about devotion; it was deeply intertwined with social identity and the patronage system. Wealthy families, like the Medici, commissioned works for churches and chapels, shaping public perception and demonstrating their power. Lippi, who spent time as a Carmelite friar, was well-versed in religious imagery, but he also brought a new humanism to his paintings. Looking at the ruined building in the background, we can see the reference to the classical past and the dawning of a new era. By studying the financial records of Florentine families and religious orders, we can discover how the politics of imagery reflected the social conditions of the time. The Adoration becomes a window into the complex world of Renaissance Florence.