The Adoration of the Magi

About this work

This engraving shows a group of men gathered around a seated woman holding a baby. The men are dressed in old-fashioned robes and hats, some kneeling or reaching out. One man stands apart, pointing toward the scene. The background has tall columns and a fancy doorway with carvings. Notice how the artist used fine lines to build up shadows and textures—this is called cross-hatching. It makes the clothes and faces look almost three-dimensional. Try looking up cross-hatching to see how it works in other prints.