12th day of Christmas

Now that the 12 days of Christmas are over and credit cards maxed out, we might think of why that 12th day was such a big deal. This nifty little painting (actually pretty big painting) is/was by Sandro Botticelli and titled "The Adoration of the Magi".  The Three Kings (Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar) and the Christ Child - Kings all, 3 of countries so the thought is and one of the Jews - secular worshiping sacred. That is one of the big deals and a fitting end to the season. What could  get better than that?

That fellow on the far right in the gold robe is Botticelli and about 1/6th of the way in there is a guy in a pale blue robe and white hair looking out at us - the fella who commissioned the work, a banker named Del Lama is also somewhat surrounded by the Medici family living and dead scatter about in the work. It is full of symbolism as one would expect - the crumbling structures of the past and the simple wood structure over the Christchild.

Ever wonder where the name Kris Kringle comes from? The Miracle on 34th Street Kris?  It's pretty easy actually. Christ Child. Christ Kinderling. Kris Kinder, Kris Kringle. 

Anyway, I love the painting and wanted to share it with you here as there was a terrific piece of music written by an Italian composer Resphigi nearly 100 years ago call "Three Botticelli Portraits"  one of the three being the Adoration. I just heard it on the radio.