PXL_20240329_221346008

The Adoration of the Magi with Saint Anthony Abbot
About 1410-20

Franco-Flemish Master
Active in Burgundy, about 1400

Oil and tempera with gold and silver leaf on panel

Against a magnificent red backdrop decorated with a metallic motif (an allusion to divinity), the Christ child receives the Three Kings (Magi) bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. By grasping the coins offered by Caspar, Christ accepts his divine kingship.
The white turban of Balthazar, the youngest Magus, and the Black African page refer to the Three Kings’ distant lands. Saint Anthony, identified by his tau-shaped cross and pig companion, was a popular saint in this period, associated with miraculous relief from ergotism, a painful affliction also known as St. Anthony’s Fire. This painting was probably intended for a hospital or chapel dedicated to him.