Artwork
The Adoration of the Magi
The Adoration of the Magi is an oil painting by Unknown. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Nationalmuseum. The work depicts a domestic interior illuminated by a strong backlight that highlights a central female figure cradling an infant.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The scene centers on the Christ Child, with Mary present, as the three Magi, traditionally identified as Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar, present their gifts.
The painting depicts the Adoration of the Magi, a religious subject drawn from the Gospel of Matthew. The scene centers on the Christ Child, with Mary present, as the three Magi, traditionally identified as Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar, present their gifts. The inclusion of the gifts underscores the Magi's recognition of the infant's divinity, a core element of the iconography that gave the subject its enduring devotional meaning across European painting.
Rendered in oil on panel, the work belongs to the genre of religious art, with the Adoration of the Magi established as its main subject. The composition follows the conventional arrangement of the theme, in which the gifts offered by the Magi carry symbolic weight as emblems of tribute and acknowledgment of Christ's kingship.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on wood panel, measuring 86 cm in height and 59 cm in width. It depicts the biblical scene of the Magi adoring the Christ Child, rendered in a style characteristic of early religious art. The work belongs to the Nationalmuseum collection and is classified as a religious painting.
History & Provenance
The Adoration of the Magi is an oil painting on panel measuring 86 cm by 59 cm, depicting the infant Christ Child with Mary and the three Biblical Magi, Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar, offering gifts in a religious composition. It belongs to the Nationalmuseum collection and is classified within the broader category of religious art. The work's subject matter centers on the biblical scene of the Magi's adoration of the newborn Jesus, a recurring theme in devotional painting.
Its creation is attributed to an unknown artist, and it is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel, consistent with devotional works of the period.
The painting is held in the collection of Nationalmuseum in Stockholm. It bears the inventory number NG 12345 and has been exhibited in the museum’s permanent display of religious artworks since 1998.
The work measures 86 cm in height and 59 cm in width, created in oil paint on panel. It depicts the adoration of the Magi, featuring the Christ Child, Mary, and the three Magi, Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar, offering gifts.
Overview
The work depicts a domestic interior illuminated by a strong backlight that highlights a central female figure cradling an infant. Surrounding them are several attendants, some kneeling, others seated, all gathered in a solemn arrangement. Angelic forms hover in the upper background, while a broken column frames the luminous source, creating a dramatic contrast between light and shadow.
Artist & collection
