Adoration of the Magi
1444
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
About the artist
Artist
Conrad Laib
Conrad Laib (b. 1410) was a German artist, born in Swabia.
See the richer artist page1444
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Adoration of the Magi is a 1444 unspecified by Conrad Laib, a Northern Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see three kings kneeling in gold robes, offering gifts to a baby on Mary’s lap while angels hover above. Laib painted this in the 1440s, when most artists still worked for churches. His version feels quieter—less gold, more shadow—so the faces stand out. The kings’ robes have tiny folds that catch the light like real fabric, a trick few painters did then. To see how light and shadow changed later, look up chiaroscuro.
Laib was a German painter who spent most of his career in Austria. Proof that he came to Salzburg at an early age is suggested by the stylistic affinity of many of his works with Salzburg painting, including this one.
A companion piece to this one is in the Freising Seminary in Germany and depicts the Nativity.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Conrad Laib (b. 1410) was a German artist, born in Swabia.
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