Ethiopian Christians in Florence: Filipino Lippi’s “Adoration of the Magi” and “Miracle of St Philip”

Interesting online lecture from the Courtauld Institute looking at the background and relevance of black figures in two paintings by Filipino Lippi.

Jonathon Nelson from Syracuse University took us through the history of the coming of Christianity to Ethiopia and of subsequent delegations from there to Rome and Florence. He talked about how these delegations were viewed and their affect on art.

He then took us through the possible iconographic meanings of the figures in the two paintings mentioned in the title. The figures are a man with an earing shown with a group of exotic characters being led by an older grey haired man and a richly dressed figure in a traditional Ethiopian white scarf. Lots of ideas to think about.

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