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The J. Paul Getty Museum has recently acquired a rare, northern European panel painting,
The Adoration of the Magi with Saint Anthony Abbot. The exquisitely painted panel
exemplifies the
International Gothic style that dominated European painting around 1400.
The painting's bright red background and silver (once gold) stamped stars, and the
Magi's courtly robes are typical of this style, which was characterized by bright colors, detailed execution,
and elegant figures.
The Adoration of the Magi with Saint Anthony Abbot shows the
Bible's Three Kings presenting gifts to the
Christ child. Caspar kneels reverently with his crown by his side, offering a box of gold.
On the far right, a black page accompanies Melchior, referring to the Magi's travel from faraway lands. Christ is depicted as a lively child wriggling on his mother's lap, and his direct gaze and gesture toward the gold
indicate his acceptance of his kingship.
Saint Anthony Abbot stands on the far left accompanied by a pig and holding a bell to ward off the devil.
He was probably the patron saint of the church or hospital for which the work was commissioned.
The Adoration of the Magi with Saint Anthony Abbot complements many works in the Museum's
collection. As an example of the International Gothic style in northern Europe, it complements the Gentile da
Fabriano's painting, Coronation of the Virgin. It can also be compared stylistically to
stained glass and illustrated
manuscripts of the 1400s, including Saint Anthony Abbot Blessing the Animals, the Poor, and the Sick
by the Master of Saint Veronica of Cologne, and thematically to paintings such as The Meeting of the Three Kings with David and Isaiah
by the Master of the Saint Bartholomew Altarpiece.
This new acquisition is on view in the exhibition Fit for a King: Courtly Manuscripts,
1380–1450 (June 29 through August 29, 2004) on the plaza level of the North Pavilion,
after which it will be installed in the paintings galleries on the second level of the
North Pavilion.
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