De aanbidding van de Wijzen (Mattheüs 2: 11-12)

This early Adoration of the Magi, dated 1605 and in the Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, predates Janssens's mature works by a decade and shows the artist shortly after his return from Rome at a stage when his synthesis of Italian influence and Flemish tradition was still in formation. Working in oil paint on panel, Janssens applied the compositional lessons of Roman altarpieces to a northern format and scale. The 1605 date places the work in the immediate aftermath of his Italian period and offers a revealing comparison with his more assured 1616 treatment of the same subject in Antwerp. The Matthew reference in the work's full title (Matthew 2:11–12) marks this as a specifically exegetical engagement with the biblical text — the artist or patron wished to be specific about the scriptural source. The Karlsruhe collection context suggests the work found its way into German aristocratic or ecclesiastical collecting.

Oil paint on panel with the relatively tight, controlled finish of an early work still assimilating Italian influences. Figure scale is ambitious but the spatial recession may be less confident than in the 1616 treatment. The gilt, frankincense, and myrrh vessels are given particular attention, suggesting the artist was drawn to their material specificity. Light enters from a high angle, consistent with Italian practice, casting strong directional shadows.