Peter Paul Rubens Siegen 1577 - Antwerp 1640 oil on panel 447 x
336 cm Inventory number 298 A colourful procession enters the
ruins of an ancient structure. On the right, Mary presents her
son to the three magi, who are accompanied by servants,
soldiers, horses and camels. She is not central to the
composition, yet she attracts the viewer's attention, because
the magi and their companions are all facing her. Gaspar kneels
and offers frankincense. Melchior, the old man in red, gives
gold. And the Moorish King Balthasar, in a turban, has brought
myrrh. The three men represent the lands and races who knew of
the birth of the Messiah. With their gifts, they honour Jesus as
a human and a lord, and as God. After a long period abroad,
Peter Paul Rubens returned to Antwerp in the early 17th century.
He would become one of the most celebrated and successful
artists of his era. In the 1620s, he received several
commissions for large series of works and prestigious
altarpieces. The Adoration of the Magi was commissioned