The Adoration of the Magi

Quinten Massys' Adoration of the Magi from 1526 is a late masterwork by the leading painter of Antwerp, who helped transform the city into the artistic capital of the Netherlands. The subject of the Magi's visit to the Christ Child allowed Massys to display his gifts for portraiture, exotic costume, and spatial complexity. The work reflects the cosmopolitan culture of Antwerp as Europe's leading commercial center.

Massys combines the precise detail of the Netherlandish tradition with the monumental figure types influenced by Italian Renaissance painting, particularly Leonardo da Vinci. The oil-on-wood technique produces richly saturated colors with subtle atmospheric effects in the background landscape.