Artwork
Adoration of the Magi
Adoration of the Magi is an oil painting. It dates from 1470 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The scene captures the moment of homage, where the figures gather around the infant Christ, emphasising the spiritual reverence central to the subject matter.
The painting depicts the Adoration of the Magi, a religious narrative centred on the visit of the Magi to honour the Christ Child. Created by an anonymous German artist around 1470, the work features the Madonna and Child as the focal point, surrounded by the figures of the Magi and other men. As a piece of religious art, the composition illustrates the theological significance of the event, representing the recognition of Jesus as the Messiah by the Gentiles.
The scene captures the moment of homage, where the figures gather around the infant Christ, emphasising the spiritual reverence central to the subject matter.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1470 by an anonymous German artist, this work is an oil painting on a wooden panel. The composition measures 18.3 cm in height and 17.2 cm in width, indicating a small-scale format suitable for private devotion. As a religious piece, it visually narrates the Adoration of the Magi, featuring the Christ Child, the Madonna, and visiting figures.
The application of oil paint on a rigid panel support was characteristic of Northern European artistic practice during this period, allowing for detailed rendering of the sacred subjects depicted.
History & Provenance
The Adoration of the Magi was executed circa 1470 by an anonymous German painter, likely for a devotional setting. The work is an oil painting on panel, measuring approximately 18.3 × 17.2 cm, and depicts the biblical scene of the Magi presenting gifts to the infant Christ. Its early history is unclear, but by the mid-twentieth century the painting was part of the collection of the American philanthropist Robert Lehman, whose collection passed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains in the Robert Lehman Collection.
The attribution to an anonymous master follows stylistic analysis of the period. The accession number is not specified in the cited sources, and no exhibition history is documented.
Overview
This oil painting, titled Adoration of the Magi, presents a classic religious scene. It depicts a group of individuals gathered around a central figure: a woman holding a baby. Three men approach her, offering gifts in a gesture of homage.
The setting includes an architectural structure and a celestial backdrop, contributing to the solemnity of the moment portrayed.
Artist & collection
- Triptychon, Mitteltafel: Anbetung der Könige
Adoration of the Kings
The Adoration of the Magi
Anbetung der Könige
Adoration of the Magi
The Adoration of the Magi
Anbetung der Könige
The Nativity with the Adoration of the Shepherds
The Nativity
Adoration of the Magi Triptych
Mary with the child, Saint Catherine, Saint Barbara and angels
Darbringung im Tempel
