Title: Adoration of the Magi

Artist: Franco-Flemish

The Adoration of the Magi with Saint Anthony Abbot About 1400–10 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.