Adoration of the Magi (Unfinished)

Leonardo da Vinci began this Adoration of the Magi in 1481 but abandoned it unfinished when he left Florence for Milan. The composition shows the Virgin and Child surrounded by adoring figures, while behind them horsemen battle and workers construct a ruined building. The under-drawing and partial paint layers reveal Leonardo's creative process.

The complex arrangement of over 60 figures radiates from the central Virgin. Some figures gesture dramatically, others kneel in contemplation. The background combines classical ruins with mysterious violence. Leonardo's characteristic psychological intensity already appears in faces ranging from serene worship to anxious searching.

The Uffizi displays the painting in its unfinished state. Recent restoration removed centuries of varnish and retouching, revealing Leonardo's original monochromatic under-painting.