Hieronymus Bosch, The Adoration of the Magi
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New YorkPaintings sorted by Historical period | Painter | Subject matter | Pigments used
Overview
‘The Adoration of the Magi’ is most probably an early work by Bosch. The prolific use of gold leaf in the carpet and in the robes of the Magi is rather unusual for Bosch.
The painting was thoroughly investigated by The Bosch Research and Conservation Project. The results of this investigation were published in a magnificent book referenced in the section “Recommended Books” below. An extensive interactive online feature at the website of the project complements the book and shows all the images from the book in high resolution.
The pigment analysis reveals a limited palette consisting of the usual pigments employed in the Renaissance period, such as azurite, lead-tin yellow, carmine, and gold leaf.
Date: ca 1470-80
Medium: Oil and gold
Support: Oak
Size: 71.1 x 56.5 cm
Art period: Renaissance
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Accession number: 13.26
Painting at the website of the BOSCH PROJECT
Biblical Story
The Adoration of the Magi in ‘Art and the Bible‘
Matthew 2:11
“On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”
Pigments
Pigment Analysis
This pigment analysis is based on the work of the scientists at The Bosch Research and Conservation Project (1). The scientists employed x-ray radiography (XRR), infrared photography (IRP) and infrared reflectography (IRR) to gain insights into the inner layers of the painting and to identify the pigments.
1 Blue sky: azurite and lead white in varying proportions.
2 Blue-green foliage: first indicated in blue with lead-tin yellow, lead white and blue highlights.
3 Fire: bright red, lead-tin yellow, orange ochre, red lake, and brown smoke.
4 Red shoulder piece: red lake and lead-tin yellow. Red-dyed fibers were found in the paint layer and thus the red lake could be carmine prepared from red-dyed textile cuttings.
5 Golden carpet and golden parts of the robes and golden objects: gold leaf with hatching in red lake.
References
(1) Luuk Hoogstede, Ron Spronk, Matthijs Ilsink, Robert G. Erdmann, Jos Koldeweij, Rik Klein Gotink, Hieronymus Bosch, Painter and Draughtsman: Technical Studies, Yale University Press, 2016, pp. 172 – 181.
(2) Carmen Garrido and Roger Van Schoute, Bosch At The Museo Del Prado – technical Study, Aldeasa Publishers 2001.
Pigments Used in This Painting
Resources
See the collection of online and offline resources such as books, articles, videos, and websites on Hieronymus Bosch in the section ‘Resources on Painters‘
PowerPoint Presentations
Painter in Context: Hieronymus Bosch
A richly illustrated presentation on the painting technique and pigments employed by Hieronymus Bosch specially crafted for Art Education. (Number of Slides = 20)
- Each presentation starts with the basic resources on the painter such as his biography, main catalogs of his paintings, and a bibliography.
- Next, you find slides describing the painting technique of the artist and the pigments he usually employed in his work.
- The majority of the slides show examples of paintings containing the specific pigments.
Slides showing the basic resources on the life and works of the Northern Renaissance painter Hieronymus Bosch.
The painting technique and all pigments employed by Bosch are shown in the next slides.
The majority of the slides show important examples of paintings where Bosch employed specific pigments. The slides are organized according to the color of the pigments.
Videos
Video: 'Adoration of the Magi' by Ali Banisadr
Publications and Websites
Publications
(1) Matthijs Ilsink, Jos Koldeweij, Hieronymus Bosch: Painter and Draughtsman – Catalogue raisonné, Yale University Press, New Haven and London 2016, pp 216-223.
This book is also available online in pdf format in two parts: part I and part II.
(2) Luuk Hoogstede, Ron Spronk, Matthijs Ilsink, Robert G. Erdmann, Jos Koldeweij, Rik Klein Gotink, Hieronymus Bosch, Painter and Draughtsman: Technical Studies, Yale University Press, 2016, pp. 172 – 181.
(3) Lionel Cust. “The Adoration of the Three Kings by Hieronymus Bosch.” Apollo 8 (August 1928).
(4) Carmen Garrido and Roger Van Schoute, Bosch At The Museo Del Prado – technical Study, Aldeasa Publishers 2001.
Websites
Website of the Bosch Project
Website of the Bosch Research and Conservation Project
