Star of Kings, A Night Piece
1630
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
About the artist
Artist
Jan Jansz van de Velde
Jan Jansz van de Velde (1620–1662) was a Dutch artist, born in Haarlem.
See the richer artist page1630
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Star of Kings, A Night Piece is a 1630 by Jan Jansz van de Velde, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a dark winter night in a Dutch town, lit only by flickering torches and a bright star overhead. A crowd of people walks through snow-covered streets, following a man holding a glowing star on a pole. This painting shows Epiphany, a holiday celebrating the three wise men visiting baby Jesus. In the 1600s, Dutch towns reenacted this event with candlelit processions. The artist made the scene feel alive with small details—like the way light dances on the snow and the warm glow of the torches. To see more night scenes like this, look up *chiaroscuro*.
Star of Kings depicts the holiday of Epiphany, or Twelfth Night, celebrated on January 6, and commemorates the journey of the three Maji to the Christ child, guided by the Star of Bethlehem. In 17th-century Netherlands, the event was recreated by townspeople who gathered at dusk and processed through the streets singing and carrying candles and torches, following one of the most prominent citizens who had the honor of holding the star.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Jan Jansz van de Velde (1620–1662) was a Dutch artist, born in Haarlem.
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