Artwork
Adoration of the Magi
Adoration of the Magi is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Jacopo Bassano. It dates from 1555 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting emphasizes the recognition of Christ’s divine nature by Gentile representatives, underscoring themes of revelation and universal salvation.
The work portrays the biblical scene of the Magi presenting gifts to the infant Christ, a traditional epiphany composition. Mary holds the Christ Child while the three kings kneel in adoration, each bearing symbolic offerings of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The painting emphasizes the recognition of Christ’s divine nature by Gentile representatives, underscoring themes of revelation and universal salvation.
Technique & Style
The painting Adoration of the Magi is executed in oil on canvas, a medium confirmed by its material listing and genre as religious art. Its formal composition centers on the Christ Child, Mary, and the Biblical Magi in a devotional arrangement characteristic of Jacopo Bassano's late work. The support is canvas, consistent with its classification as a painting and the dimensions recorded at 92.3 cm in height and 117.5 cm in width.
History & Provenance
The painting Adoration of the Magi was created by Jacopo Bassano in 1555 as an oil on canvas work measuring 92.3 by 117.5 centimeters. It entered the collection of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria, who commissioned or acquired the piece, and has remained in the ownership of the Kunsthistorisches Museum since its inception. The composition depicts the Christ Child alongside Mary and the Biblical Magi in a religious scene characteristic of Bassano’s output.
The painting is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Historical records indicate the work was once owned by Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria before entering the museum's holdings. The provided sources do not contain specific inventory numbers or a recorded history of public exhibitions for this artwork.
Overview
Jacopo Bassano’s oil on canvas, dated 1555, presents a crowded Nativity scene titled “Adoration of the Magi.” The work is part of the collection of Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it remains on public display. The composition gathers several figures around the infant Christ, set against a rugged landscape illuminated by strong light and shadow.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jacopo Bassano was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Venetian school. He was born and died in Bassano del Grappa, and took the village as his surname. Having trained in the workshop of his father, Francesco the…
