Artwork
Anbetung der Könige
Anbetung der Könige is an unspecified painting by the Early Renaissance artist Francesco Francia. It dates from 1496 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition focuses entirely on this sacred encounter, adhering to the traditional iconography of the Epiphany.
Francesco Francia's 1490 painting depicts the Adoration of the Magi, a central theme in Christian religious art. The work's primary subject is the Christ Child, who is shown receiving the homage of the biblical kings. This scene represents the recognition of Jesus's divinity by the Gentiles, a moment of profound theological significance often celebrated in devotional contexts. The composition focuses entirely on this sacred encounter, adhering to the traditional iconography of the Epiphany.
History & Provenance
The Adoration of the Magi by Francesco Francia (Francesco Raibolini) is dated to around 1490.
The work is held by the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is located at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. It depicts the religious subject of the Adoration of the Christ Child by the Magi.
The painting Anbetung der Könige by Francesco Francia is held within the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections. It is currently housed at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The work, created in 1490, depicts the Adoration of the Magi and measures 39.7 cm in height by 58 cm in width.
No specific inventory or accession numbers are provided in the available sources, nor is there any recorded exhibition history for this piece in the given documentation.
Overview
Anbetung der Könige is a 1496 painting by Francesco Francia, a Bolognese artist who worked as a painter, goldsmith, and medallist. The work is part of the Alte Pinakothek collection.
Technique & Style
The painting features a rocky landscape with a distant cityscape and body of water in the background. Chiaroscuro is used to create depth, with the Magi in ornate robes and the Virgin Mary in a blue cloak, while the Christ Child is swaddled in white.
Artist & collection
Artist
Francesco Francia, whose real name was Francesco Raibolini (1447 – 5 January 1517), was an Italian painter, goldsmith, and medallist from Bologna, who was also director of the city mint.
