Ryan Carter, Class of 2025, College of the Holy Cross




The Adoration of the Kings was created by one of the premier medieval painters in central Italy (Umbria), known as Ottaviano Nelli. Nelli was the son of a largely-unknown Gubbian painter, Martino Nelli, and Ottaviano was much more talented than his father. Also known as Ottaviano di Martino Nelli or Ottaviano de Martis, Nelli’s name first appeared in the public archives of Perugia, where documents witness that he painted the arms of the Duke of Milan. Nelli operated all across Umbria, and his works ranged from some of the finest frescos and altarpieces in Italy to paintings executed for cities, public businesses, and private citizens. Nelli was known especially for his frescoes, sometimes being described as “the gem of nearly all those beauties”. The Adoration of the Kings was a panel painting completed by Nelli in the late 1300s to early 1400s. As the last record of his work was in April of 1444, he seems to have died soon after that date.