This painting caught my eye as Nichola and I were on the hunt for the Da Vinci painting at the National Gallery of Art. After paying my respects to Da Vinci's Florentine girl, I did some backtracking to get a closer look.

It's called The Adoration of the Magi and it dates to the fifteenth century. It's credited to Fra Angelico and Fra Filippo Lippi but it's believed other artists contributed over a lengthy period of time. In other words, this isn't the work of a single master and it wasn't painted quickly.

I marvel at the way art historians can study a style or a brush stroke and identify the artist. What a skill. All I know is that the colors are magnificent and that the details draw my eye. It's pretty. It's also round which is quite unusual. It's called a tondo, by the way. That's the technical name for a circular painting.

It shows the three magi or the three kings presenting gifts to the infant Jesus who is held by his mother Mary while Joseph stands close. This painting is all about movement and joy. Celebration and vibrancy.

I'm glad I went back for a closer look.