Dissecting Botticelli's Adoration of the Magi - James Earle

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Jessica Ruby

翻译人员: Geoff Chen 校对人员: Zhiting Chen

Around 1469, a wealthy money changer commissioned

大约在 1469 年时 有位富裕的汇兑商雇了

a young painter named Sandro Botticelli

一位叫桑德罗·波提切利的年轻画家

to paint an altar piece.

来画一幅圣坛画像。

Botticelli would, of course, become known

当然波提切利之后会成名，

as one of the greatest painters of the High Renaissance,

成为文艺复兴的伟大画家之一，

producing works like "La Primavera"

创作出《春》

and "The Birth of Venus."

以及《维纳斯的诞生》等作品。

But, in 1469, he had not yet earned this reputation.

但在 1469 年，他尚未赢得此声誉。

The scene this young artist set out to paint was well-known:

众所周知这位年轻画家要画的主题是：

the Three Wise Men, or Magi,

东方三博士，又称贤士来朝，

arriving at the birth place of Jesus Christ.

到耶稣诞生处朝拜的故事。

Botticelli would aspire to take this common theme

波提切利渴望借此常见的主题

and produce an entirely original work,

画出全新的原创作品，

while asserting himself

使他自己

among the most important citizens of Florence.

能在佛罗伦萨重要人物中获得名声。

Many earlier paintings illustrate the Magi

很多早期画作呈现三贤士

arriving at a stable, stately manger,

抵达一座马厩，华丽的马槽朝圣，

fitting for the son of God.

很符合神子的身份。

The young Botticelli, however, chose

而年轻的波提切利却选择

to place the scene in the dilapidated Roman ruin.

把场景放在残旧的罗马废墟。

At the center of this structure,

他在构图的中心，

he placed a sturdy rock for Mary and Jesus

置放了一块坚固的磐石 让圣母玛利亚和耶稣

to sit high above their visitors.

高坐在访客之上。

With this decision, Botticelli seemed to say

波提切利的这个决定似乎在陈述

Christianity will be built on sturdier stuff than Rome.

基督教建立在比罗马更稳固的基础上。

Botticelli then populated the space

然后，波提切利把空间

with important men from his city.

填上几位来自他城市的重要人物。

On the right side, he paints the man

他在右边画了

who paid for this work, Gaspare del Lama,

资助这幅作品的人， 加斯帕累·德拉玛，

looking out at the viewer

面朝外看着观画人

and confidently pointing at himself

并很有自信地指着自己

so that there is no question

明白地指出

who is responsible for this masterpiece.

谁负责这幅著作。

Though born the son of a barber,

虽然德拉玛只是理发师之子，

del Lama amassed a good sum of money

他一生从事货币汇兑的行当

through currency exchange in his lifetime.

积聚了很大一笔财富。

He earned enough money to buy a burial chapel

他的钱够他买一座教堂

and decorate it with a pretty painting.

并以美丽的壁画裝飾，

The Three Wise Men appear at the center of this painting,

那三位贤士出现在画作中央，

kneeling to Mary and Jesus.

跪在玛利亚和耶稣脚前。

As models for these important figures,

这些重要人物的模特，

Botticelli used members of the important Medici family.

波提切利使用了重要的 梅第奇家族成员。

Del Lama's career as a money changer

作为货币汇兑商

would not have been possible

若德拉玛没有 强大的梅第奇家族的帮助

without the help of the powerful Medici family,

是不可能成功的，

in particular Cosimo de' Medici,

特别是科西莫·德·梅第奇，

who appears prominently at Mary's feet.

他出现在玛利亚脚前显眼的位置。

The other wise men can be identified

其他的贤士的身份分别为

as Piero and Giovanni de' Medici,

皮耶罗和乔瓦尼·梅第奇，

Cosimo's two sons.

科西莫德的两个儿子。

The business of money exchange

货币汇兑这行当

had dubious ethical and legal associations,

游走在道德和法律的边缘，

so the friendship of this powerful family was important.

所以与权势家族交朋友是很重要的。

And the young heir to Medici power, Lorenzo,

而年轻的梅第奇权势继承人罗伦佐，

could not be omitted from this painting's composition.

也不能从这幅画的构图中省略。

He appears to the left of the manger.

他就出现在马厩的左边。

This painting seems to say

这幅画似乎在说

the Medici legacy, with its many healthy heirs,

由於多位健康的继承人 梅第奇家族的傳統，

will be built on sturdier stuff than Rome.

建立在比罗马更坚固的东西上。

Botticelli then filled the rest of the space

接著，波提切利把其余的空间

with other friends and powerful figures from Florence.

以其他佛罗伦萨的朋友和有权的人填满。

And, among the Florentine elite,

而在佛罗伦萨精英中，

the young, confident artist painted himself

这位年轻自信的艺术家还画了他自己

looking directly at the viewer.

直直的朝着观画人看。

Botticelli's presence in this painting

波提切利在这幅画的存在

illustrates a radical shift in the perception

描绘出这段時期 人們对艺术家

of artists during this time period.

观感的剧烈改变。

Botticelli did not view himself

波提切利并不视自己为

as a common craftsman hired for a simple job.

普通工匠，被雇来做简单工作。

He viewed himself as a friend

他视自己为一个佛罗伦萨时间轴

to the powerful families of Florence.

权势家族的朋友。

Paintings like "The Adoration of the Magi"

画作如《贤士来朝》

reveal much more than a simple retelling of a biblical story.

透露出的意义 比单纯复述一段圣经故事还要多。

They can tell the story of, among other things,

这些画作可以说是在讲述

a modestly-born money changer

一位平凡出身的货币汇兑商

attempting to spend his money virtuously

试图把財富花在良心事上

by making a local chapel more beautiful,

是当地教堂更美的故事，

or the story of an ambitious young painter,

或一位有野心的年轻画家，

elevating the reputation of his craft

將自己的工艺声誉提高

to stand among the wealthy elite of his city.

最終，使他与城市中的富商巨贾齐名。