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Adoration of the Magi

A work made of oil on panel.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of oil on panel.

Date:

c. 1519

Artist:

Jan van Scorel (Netherlandish, 1495-1562)

About this artwork

One of Jan van Scorel’s earliest known works, this image of three kings from distant lands paying tribute to the newborn Jesus incorporates elements of northern and southern European visual traditions. The refined landscape, intricate costumes, and individualized faces of the figures attest to lessons the artist likely learned from his Netherlandish predecessors. The elaborate architectural carvings, on the other hand, recall ancient Roman wall decoration. Van Scorel likely made this work while traveling to study in Italy: the panel on which it is painted is made of fir, a wood rarely used in the Low Countries but one he might have encountered on his way across the Alps. Van Scorel was praised by the first biographer of Netherlandish artists as the “lantern bearer” who brought the Italian Renaissance style back to Northern Europe.

Status

On View, Gallery 207

Department

Painting and Sculpture of Europe

Artist

Jan van Scorel

Title

Adoration of the Magi

Place

Netherlands (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1515–1525

Medium

Oil on panel

Dimensions

44.4 × 55.2 cm (17 1/2 × 21 3/4 in.); Framed: 62.6 × 75 × 5.8 cm (24 5/8 × 29 1/2 × 2 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Wilson L. Mead Fund

Reference Number

1935.381

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/21937/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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