Adoration of the Magi

Artist Jan Mertens (Netherlandish, active in Antwerp c. 1473-1509)

Date1520s

MediumOil on panel

Dimensions48 x 32 in. (121.9 x 81.3 cm)

ClassificationsPaintings

Credit LineBequest of Karl A. Bickel, 1973

Object numberSN927

The Adoration of the Magi was a favorite subject of Early Netherlandish artists who favored the elaborate style of painting now called "Antwerp Mannerism." This painting shows the influence of the Italian Renaissance on Flemish art and demonstrates Mertens' ability to evoke the Roman past in the ornate classical architecture and in the detailed costumes and armor. The difference between this work and earlier styles in the Netherlands is evident in the idealized face of the Virgin compared with her plainer features in the Virgin and Child in an Apse, a painting by a follower of Robert Campin, which is also displayed in this gallery.

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