The Adoration of the Kings

Jacques Daret's The Adoration of the Kings, dated around 1434 and now in the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, is one of the four surviving panels from the Altarpiece of Saint Vaast that Daret painted for the abbey of Saint Vaast in Arras. Daret was a pupil of Robert Campin alongside Rogier van der Weyden, and his work provides crucial evidence about the teaching practices of Campin's workshop. The Adoration of the Kings — the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh — was one of the most popular Epiphany subjects and allowed painters to display exotic costume, varied figure types, and the contrast between humble stable and regal visitors.

Daret shows the direct influence of Campin in the solid, three-dimensional figure modeling and the attention to realistic detail in costume and setting. The composition is more spatially coherent than the International Gothic tradition, with figures placed in a recession that demonstrates awareness of Flemish perspectival developments. Colors are warm and richly applied.