Adoration of the Magi (Rubens, Antwerp)

The Adoration of the Magi is a 1624 oil on canvas painting by Peter Paul Rubens, measuring 447 cm x 336 cm. It was commissioned by Matthæus Yrsselius, abbot of St. Michael's Abbey, Antwerp, as an altarpiece, and paid for in two instalments of 750 guilders each in 1624 and 1626.[1] The painting was commissioned after the St. Michael's Abbey burned down in 1620 and is also thought to have been in celebration of St. Michael's Abbey's 500 year anniversary. The Virgin Mary is thought to have been modelled on Rubens' first wife Isabella Brant. The painting is now in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.

Adoration of the Magi (1624) by Rubens

Additional Information

The Adoration of the Magi was a popular subject matter of the time often depicting one of the Magi's, or Wise Men's, deep love and respect for the Baby Jesus after his birth. Rubens did four paintings of the same subject for different patrons with all four being entitled Adoration of the Magi, as well. The other iterations of this painting can be found in Lyon, Madrid, and Cambridge. However, despite the detail and elegance of this specific iteration of the Adoration of the Magithe Antwerp addition is not the most well know piece of Rubens and arguably isn't the most know version of Adoration of the Magi.

The painting is an important story arc in the comic book album "De Raap van Rubens" ("Rubens' apprentice") (1977) in the Belgian comic book series Suske en Wiske. The characters visit it in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp. Later the man in the red cloak on the painting comes alive and steals a necklace from Lambik. In order to find out why the man does this Lambik travels back in time, to the era of Peter Paul Rubens.[2]

See also

References
  1. Max Rooses, Rubens' leven en werken (1903), 380.
  2. "1 december » Protestantse Gemeente Barneveld". www.pgbarneveld.nl. Archived from the original on 2016-04-03.

Bibliography
  • Ricart, Joan (coord.) (2008). Rubens. Barcelona:Sol 90. ISBN 978-84-9820-766-8.


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