Getty Museum
The Adoration of the Magi
Creator
Simon BeningFlemish Illuminator · 1483–1561
All works by this person →One of the most celebrated painters of Flanders in the 1500s, Simon Bening was hailed by Portuguese art critic Francisco da Hollanda as the greatest master of illumination in all of Europe. In addition to producing books for powerful aristocrats such as Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg, Bening worked for a group of international royal patrons including Emperor Charles V and Don Fernando, the Infan
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- about 1525–1530
- Medium
- Tempera colors, gold paint, and gold leaf
- Culture
- Flemish
- Department
- Manuscripts
- Institution
- Getty Museum
Although the Virgin and child sit humbly on a carpet on the ground, the red cloth canopy defines the area where they sit as royal. The three Magi, traditionally described as kings from the East, approach the newborn Christ with sumptuous gifts. Despite their fine clothing, the kings pay homage to Christ by kneeling or bending down to kiss the infant's feet. The base of the large classical column in the foreground and the beautiful pearls painted as if set into the surrounding frame further lend the scene a regal sense appropriate to the theme of rulers visiting a new and mightier king. Through such imagery, Simon Bening evoked the power of humility, a concept at the core of the Adoration of the Magi story.
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