The Adoration of the Magi

Italienische Malerei 1590–1649, c. 1600

Five people gathered around a woman holding a nude baby boy fill this square painting. The woman is at the center of the composition with her head almost touching the top edge. She has pale skin, blond hair, and a gold halo painted as a single line. She looks down at the child she supports on her left knee, to our right. She wears a marine-blue robe over a raspberry-red dress. The child also has pale skin and blond hair. His cheeks are flushed, and he reaches forward with one chubby arm. The balding, light-skinned man kneeling in front of him and to our left holds out a gold, orb-shaped vessel. That man is bearded with white hair, and he wears a canary-yellow cloak over a leaf-green robe and pale brown, calf-high boots. A smaller person, also kneeling, holds a crown just behind the older man. That person and the two men who stand on the far side have pale, peachy skin. One of the standing men wears honey orange and forest green and a gold crown over his long brown hair. He holds up another vessel, this one bronze brown with gold fittings, out to another bearded, balding man standing behind the woman. To the right, a man with brown skin also wears a crown, holds a gold vessel, and has a cloak patterned with crimson red over pearl white. The underside of the cloak is laurel green, and this man appears to be barefoot. He stands facing away from us so only his cheek and one ear are visible as he faces the baby. A gray horse with a gold halter is behind the Black man in the upper right corner.
Artist
Italienische Malerei 1590–1649
Date
c. 1600
Type
Painting
Medium
oil on panel
Dimensions
24.8 × 25 cm
Collection
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Licence
Public domain, CC0

Image description

Five people gathered around a woman holding a nude baby boy fill this square painting. The woman is at the center of the composition with her head almost touching the top edge. She has pale skin, blond hair, and a gold halo painted as a single line. She looks down at the child she supports on her left knee, to our right. She wears a marine-blue robe over a raspberry-red dress. The child also has pale skin and blond hair. His cheeks are flushed, and he reaches forward with one chubby arm. The balding, light-skinned man kneeling in front of him and to our left holds out a gold, orb-shaped vessel. That man is bearded with white hair, and he wears a canary-yellow cloak over a leaf-green robe and pale brown, calf-high boots. A smaller person, also kneeling, holds a crown just behind the older man. That person and the two men who stand on the far side have pale, peachy skin. One of the standing men wears honey orange and forest green and a gold crown over his long brown hair. He holds up another vessel, this one bronze brown with gold fittings, out to another bearded, balding man standing behind the woman. To the right, a man with brown skin also wears a crown, holds a gold vessel, and has a cloak patterned with crimson red over pearl white. The underside of the cloak is laurel green, and this man appears to be barefoot. He stands facing away from us so only his cheek and one ear are visible as he faces the baby. A gray horse with a gold halter is behind the Black man in the upper right corner.

Italienische Malerei 1590–1649