The feast of the Epiphany officially closes the Christmas season in the Christian tradition. This celebration of the manifestation of Jesus to the Gentiles and the visit of the Magi to the Baby Jesus has often been represented by painters. In previous posts we looked at works by famous artists showing the Adoration of the Magi, three wise men who followed the eastern star - maybe a comet or a bright planet - that they thought would lead them to the birth of a great prophet. Guided by the star they arrived in Bethlehem and carried their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the Baby Jesus.
Last year we looked at the "Adoration of the Magi" triptych by Hieronymus Bosch, let's continue the thread by looking at two other representations of the same scene by the same painter.
Dating from around 1499 and currently in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the first adoration featured in this post is attributed to Bosch, but it is also linked to the style of the Netherlandish painters Dieric Bouts (c. 1415 - 1475) and Geertgen tot Sint Jans (active 1475 - 95).
In this traditional representation of the Adoration of the Magi theme, Mary is on the left, sheltering under a small hut, and the three Magi bring gifts to Jesus in the foreground.
There are other characters populating the scene, with Joseph scratching his head, the ox and the donkey and two men armed with arrows - a soldier and a civilian - in the background. Further away from this main scene there is the skyline of an entire city that can be seen in the distance, on the right.
There are quite beautiful fashion elements in this painting: pink prevails in the gowns of the Virgin Mary, Joseph and Caspar. The latter wears a tunic with a sort of cape made with large strips of fabric that open up on the sleeves creating a wonderful decorative effect. The richest costume is definitely the one donned by Balthazar who is clad in a short pleated white tunic with oversized sleeves embellished with an embroidery of the Manna fall. Balthasar also wears shoes characterised by a scalloped motif.
This adoration can be juxtaposed to a previous one that Bosch executed earlier, in 1475, and that is part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
In this case the scene takes place in the ruins of a Medieval castle, with angels holding aloft a curtain reminiscent of the stage and maybe hinting at the mystery plays performed in Bosch's hometown of 's-Hertogenbosch.
Rather than pink, here we have an abundance of gold leaf and a teal gown for the Virgin Mary who is also sitting on a golden cloth.
There are further fashion elements, in particular the contrast beween the rich attires of the Magi and the poor peasants and shepherds in the painting.
The Magi, carrying gold, frankincense, and myrrh, have an exotic aspect and wear lavish costumes: Caspar wears a damasked gown with a large turban and in this case Balthazar's white pleated tunic is longer and features a black hem. The tunic is accessorised with a rich collar and a fist shield, or buckler, hanging from the scabbard of his scimitar, suspended from a sword belt.
Melchior, kneeling, offers a golden Arabian flagon and basin decorated with pearls and gems; Caspar a Gothic ciborium holding myrrh, and Balthazar a spherical ciborium of frankincense topped by a large golden bird, maybe a pelican pricking its breast to feed its young with its own blood, or a phoenix (both the birds would symbolize Christ's sacrifice and resurrection).
Also in this case there are various interesting details, such as Joseph kneeling, supporting himself on a walking stick and a peasant peeking through a window at the left, two shepherds warming themselves by the fire at the right, a donkey and ox behind Joseph and a dog in the foreground.
The ruined wall at the back also allows to admire the landscape in the distance, populated with characters and animals, shepherds tending their flocks, trees and woods, and a mysterious walled city. Three small armies are on the move, each bearing flags, and, on the right side of the painting, there are sinister elements such as crows picking at the skeleton of a dead animal and a body hanging from a gibbet in front of a castle.
Mary and Jesus are still the main protagonists of these adoration scenes, but Bosch's rich imagination adds some fascinating elements, reminding us that a genuine passion for details is often what makes a masterpiece.
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