The Adoration of the Magi is ascribed to an anonymous master working in Antwerp in the early sixteenth century. His makeshift name, Pseudo-Blesius, comes from Henricus Blesius, with whom he was initially confused. The artist places the scene in a rugged landscape with a ruin in the foreground. A small circular relief above a window in the ruin portrays King David with his harp. As the ancestor of Jesus he represents the Old Testament, a period which came to an end with the birth of Christ. The ruin on which the new church is built represents the New Testament. The highly elongated figures and elaborate detail in the clothing, architecture and landscape are typical of Antwerp Mannerism. This late-gothic style was widespread in the Netherlands, Germany and northern France early in the sixteenth century. The work of two Dutch masters in this room, Cornelis Engebrechtsz. Van Leyden and Jacob Cornelisz. Van Oostzanen, is also closely linked to Antwerp Mannerism.
| Artist |
Pseudo-Blesius
RKD
|
|---|---|
| Title | The Adoration of the Magi |
| Date | ca. 1520 - ca. 1540 |
| Period | 16th century |
| Collection | paintings AAT |
| Object type | oil paintings (visual works) AAT |
| Inventory number | 1912-H |
| Acquisition credit |
gift
The Friends of the Museum Ghent 1912 |
| Current whereabouts | Work on display |
| Permalink | https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/1912-H |
| IIIF Manifest | https://imagehub.mskgent.be/iiif/3/577/manifest.json |
| Art & Architecture Thesaurus |
300055874
religious symbolism
AAT
300015636 landscapes AAT |
|---|---|
| Keywords Iconclass |
11F
the Virgin Mary
Iconclass
11F4 Madonna: i.e. Mary with the Christ-child Iconclass 11F4211 Mary sitting or enthroned, the Christ-child in front of her, standing in her lap (or in front of her bosom) Iconclass 11H(JOSEPH) the foster-father of Christ, Joseph of Nazareth, husband of Mary; possible attributes: flowering rod or wand, lily, carpenter's tools Iconclass 11Q71441 chalice Iconclass 25G1 plants (in general) Iconclass 25G11 groups of trees Iconclass 25G3 trees Iconclass 25H1 landscapes in the temperate zone Iconclass 25H113 (high) hill Iconclass 25I city-view, and landscape with man-made constructions Iconclass 25I12 prospect of city, town panorama, silhouette of city Iconclass 31A233 kneeling figure Iconclass 31A252 postures and gestures of arms and hands in relation to each other Iconclass 33A4 bringing gifts; exchanging gifts Iconclass 34B11 dog Iconclass 41A housing Iconclass 41A1 civic architecture; edifices; dwellings Iconclass 41A14 urban housing Iconclass 41A381 loggia, verandah, porch Iconclass 41A723 bench Iconclass 41C762 incense-burner ~ scents, perfumes Iconclass 41D221 head-gear Iconclass 41D221(CAP) head-gear: cap Iconclass 41D221(FLAT HEAD) head-gear (FLAT HEAD) Iconclass 41D221(HAT) head-gear: hat Iconclass 41D221(HEADSCARF) head-gear (HEADSCARF) Iconclass 41D2211 veil Iconclass 41D26511 gold-thread embroidery Iconclass 41D266 ornaments, jewels Iconclass 41D2665 brooch, agraffe, clasp Iconclass 41D2666 diadem, tiara Iconclass 41D267 purse, money-bag Iconclass 44A31 banner, standard (as symbol of the state, etc.) Iconclass 45B the soldier; the soldier's life Iconclass 45C11 casting weapons Iconclass 45C19(SHIELD) protective weapons: shield Iconclass 45C221 helmet Iconclass 46A1632 money-chest, treasure-chest, money-box Iconclass 46C131 riding a horse, ass, or mule; rider, horseman Iconclass 46C13142 ass, donkey Iconclass 47I21111 ox Iconclass 48A9872 ornament ~ grotesque Iconclass 48C145 architectural settings in paintings, sculptures, etc. Iconclass 48C149 ruin of a building ~ architecture Iconclass 48C16 architectural detail Iconclass 61E(BETHLEHEM) names of cities and villages (BETHLEHEM) Iconclass 73 New Testament Iconclass 73B2 adoration of the Christ-child ~ Christ's birth Iconclass 73B57 adoration of the kings: the Wise Men present their gifts to the Christ-child (gold, frankincense and myrrh) Iconclass 73B591 (later life of) Melchior, the bearded 'Asian' king Iconclass 73B592 (later life of) Caspar, the youthful 'European' king Iconclass 73B593 (later life of) Balthasar, the 'African' (negro) king Iconclass |
| School / Style | Early Netherlandish AAT |
| Museum van Schoone Kunsten : Catalogus ; Oude Meesters, Schilderstukken, teekeningen, plaatsneden (met geschiedkundig overzicht) / Maurice Dupuis, Georges Charles Nicolas Marie Hulin de Loo, Fritz Van Loo. - Gent : Drukkerij F. De Vos, 1938 ; Gent : Stad Gent, 1938 (p. 23 ('Jan de Beer')) |
| Jan de Beer, De aanbidding der Koningen / A. Marchal. - [s.l.] : [s.n.], [s.a.] (p. 334, nr. 718) |
| Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent / Robert Hoozee. - Brussel : Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap, 1988 (p. 13 [J. de Beer]) |
| Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent = Museum of Fine Arts Ghent / Claudie De Guillebon, Jacques Ostier, Robert Hoozee, Monique Tahon-Vanroose. - Parijs : Association des Amis de "Musées 2000", 1989 (p. 62 (ill. 101) [J. de Beer]) |
| Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künstler von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart / Ulrich Thieme, Felix Becker. - Leipzig : Verlag von Wilhelm Engelmann, 1907-1950 (p. 237) |
| Oude Meesters uit het Museum voor schone Kunsten Gent in de crypte van de Sint-Baafskathedraal. - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 2004 (s.p., cat. 25) |
| Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent : Catalogus schilderkunst ; Deel I: 14de - 18de eeuw ; Deel II: 19de - 20ste eeuw / Robert Hoozee, Johan De Smet, Bruno Fornari, Ruth Monteyne. - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 2007 (dl. I, p. 138-139 (ill.)) |
| Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent : De collectie (tentoonstelling vanaf 21 maart 2021) / Johan De Smet, Bart Ooghe, Frederica Van Dam, Lieven Van Den Abeele, Cathérine Verleysen. - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 2021 |
| Musée des Beaux-Arts de Gand : La Collection (exposition dès le 21 mars 2021) / Johan De Smet, Bart Ooghe, Frederica Van Dam, Lieven Van Den Abeele, Cathérine Verleysen. - Gand : Musée des Beaux-Arts de Gand, 2021 |
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