A Triptych: The Adoration of the Magi, The Nativity at Night, with the Annunciation to the Shepherds, and The Flight into Egypt
Creation Date
active, Antwerp ca. 1515-1520
Century
early 16th century
Dimensions
32 1/4 x 9 5/8 in. (81.92 x 24.45 cm)
Object Type
painting
Creation Place
Europe, Netherlands
Medium and Support
oil on panel, in an engaged frame
Credit Line
Museum Purchase, Lloyd O. and Marjorie Strong Coulter Fund, Jane H. and Charles E. Parker, Jr. Art Acquisition Fund and Laura T. and John H. Halford, Jr. Art Acquisition Fund
Copyright
Public Domain
Accession Number
2018.25
An exceptional copy of Jan de Beer’s now-lost Adoration triptych, this painting expresses ideas found in sixteenth-century Antwerp, de Beer’s home and Europe’s largest commercial port. Within classical ruins and naturalistic scenery, scenes in the life of the Holy Family are depicted with sophistication and visual elegance. The birth of Christ appears at left and the Flight into Egypt is on the right. At center, three wise men offer gold, frankincense, and myrrh, gifts that mirrored the economy of Antwerp where these rare commodities arrived from India, Asia, and Africa. One king is a Black African whose turban identifies him as Muslim although the artist depicted him in European dress. Through the Trans-Saharan trade route, African rulers were known and respected in Renaissance Europe, before racism and exploitation led to the capture and enslavement of their people.
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