
The Private Life of a Masterpiece
Filippo Lippi: The Adoration of the Christ Child
Directed by Ian Michael JonesE1 Apr 10, 2009 50m
Painted over five centuries ago, Filippo Lippi's nativity is like no other: the birth of Christ in a dark, wooded wilderness. Its beauty inspired Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli. But it also conceals a deeply personal story. It was painted for Cosimo de' Medici, a wealthy banker who feared that his money was dragging him straight to hell.