Title

The Adoration of the Magi, c.1480-c.1485. Creator: Geertgen tot Sint Jans.

Caption

The Adoration of the Magi, c.1480-c.1485. Other Title(s): The Adoration of the Magi. The three kings presenting their gifts occupy the foreground of the Amsterdam Adoration. The Christ Child, seated on the Virgin’s lap, is extending his arm towards the kneeling, oldest king, Caspar, who is offering him a goblet filled with gold coins. The two other kings stand behind Caspar in the Amsterdam panel. Melchior, with long dark hair and a beard, is holding a gold chalice in his right hand, while the black King Balthazar has a crystal goblet. Starting in the late middle ages, the three kings were associated with the continents known at the time, with Melchior representing Asia, Balthazar Africa and Caspar Europe. The belief that the kings came from different parts of the world is underscored in the background by the three directions from which they are arriving with their retinues. Matching the kings’ positions in the foreground, there is Africa on the left, Asia in the middle and Europe on the right. Oddly, though, Caspar is riding a dromedary, which is usually associated with Africa.

Credit line

Photo12/Heritage Images/Heritage Art

Reference

HRM23A68_427

Model release

NA

License type

Rights managed

Available size

69,6Mb (5,5Mb) / 14,4in x 18,7in / 4332 x 5614 (300dpi)

Keywords

Europe Africa animal standing female women woman people male child children man men animals horses horse riding rider Asia historical religious landscape sitting arts painting infant baby babies religion metal finance figure figures currency coin virgin art guy cup museum Netherlands Dutch color scene Christian Christianity infancy Christ gold camel camels devotion prayer praying kneeling Jesus Jesus Christ depiction century gallery Virgin Mary coinage Bible Biblical horseback concept exhibition exhibit goblet seated posture gold coin sitting on lap dromedary chalice art gallery oil Painting Drinking vessel Colour allegory New Testament life of Christ devotional allegorical Madonna allegorical figure gold coins Madonna and child Virgin and Child culture history historic 15th century Adoration of the Magi artistic school fifteenth century Magi Rijksmuseum TGN Three Kings Three Wise Men Virgin Mary Jesus Christ Mary St Joseph sitting on knee Biblical scene Christ Jesus Jesus St Virgin Saint Mary Mother of God Stella Maris St Mary Joseph Saint Joseph Melchior oil on panel Geertgen tot Sint Jans biblical character Sint Jans Geertgen tot Caspar Balthasar art centre Balthazar Painting Heritage Art oil on panel Low Countries in prayer Christ Antiphonetes Our Lady of Refuge Infant Jesus Notre Dame du Folgoet Our Lady of Folgoet Divine Infant Adoration of the Kings Our Lady of Mariazel