Albrecht Dürer’s, Adoration of the Magi, is a painting that highlights the universal nature of the incarnation. In typical Northern fashion, Dürer has layered on meaning with all of the small details he has included in this visual retelling of the story. During the Renaissance, the Magi traveling from the east to worship the newborn king emphasizes that Christ came for all the nations and peoples.  

The Adoration of the Magi is a panel painting that was commissioned by Frederick the Wise around 1504 for the chapel in Wittenberg castle. It is a relatively small work intended for the altar, and is only about a meter wide. 

Virgin and Child

Most of us immediately know the subject of this painting, Mary and the Baby Jesus are being visited by the Wisemen. But how do we know?  Over the millennia artists have developed a visual language to let the viewer know not just the story being depicted, but also the doctrinal truths the artist is trying to communicate. 

Whether consciously, or unconsciously we have come to recognize the Virgin Mary by her blue clothing, which raises the question: How did the color blue come to be associated with Mary? 

In the 13th century lapis lazuli, a mineral mined in Afghanistan, was discovered by Marco Polo and was the most expensive pigment that artists could purchase. Overtime, a purification process developed that produced ultramarine, a pure version of the pigment. More expensive than gold, ultramarine was treasured by those who could afford to purchase it. Because the pigment was so precious, the Catholic Church declared that it should be used for the robes of the Virgin, and the color blue came to be associated with holiness, humility, virtue, and divinity.

As devotion to Mary grew, so did the stories and traditions that surrounded her. One of these is that after her death she is crowned the Queen of Heaven. In this role, blue signifies heaven (the skies). 

 Additionally, blue came to denote divinity, or the presence of the divine. During Israel’s exile, as they wandered in the wilderness, they carried with them the Ark of the Covenant.  The Ark was believed to house the presence of God, and the Ark was placed on a blue cloth. Some strains of Christianity consider Mary as another Ark of the Covenant, as she, while pregnant, carried the divine within her. 

Mary’s head is covered in a snowy white veil, which is a symbol of her modesty and purity. She holds the Christ Child as he reaches out toward the Wiseman.

Wise Men Bearing Gifts?

The Wise Men (also referred to as magi)  from the book of Matthew are one of the great mysteries of the nativity story, and it is always interesting to see how artists choose to portray them. The Wise Men are only mentioned in one of the four gospels and their description is vague at best, “wise men from the East.”  We do not know how many came, what country they originated from, or what being ‘wise men’ means. They could be astrologers, priestly advisors, or kings. We simply don’t know. 

Of course, traditions grew around the magi. The fact that they followed a star led to the idea that they were astrologers of some kind. The three gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh led to theories about their countries of origin. The wealth needed to bring such gifts led to the idea that they were kings, or priestly advisers to kings. 

Early Debates on the Magi

The imaginations of many early church fathers were ignited by the mystery of the wise men. I love some of the early mentions. In particular, Pliny the Elder, writing during the 1st century describes them  as magicians along the lines of Harry Potter. He devotes several chapters to them and in one story describes the magi as curing toothaches by pouring boiled earthworms into ears. Gross, but evidently effective. 

In 200 A.D. Tertullian argued for the wise men being both kings and astrologers. In the 16th century, John Calvin, took great exception to those assertions stating that anyone who believed that should be ridiculed and would be judged by God. 

 Current Understandings

Oddly, Christmas carols seem to be the leading reason many Christians today are convinced of the three kings theory. Over centuries Christians have imagined the story of the nativity and filled in many blank spaces with very specific details. These details have become so entwined with the story they are assumed to be biblical facts. 

This is revealed by the Nativities that appear on store shelves during the Christmas season. Almost every set includes three wise men, one kneeling, one with a camel, and one standing. 

Dürer’s Understanding of the Wise Men

During Dürer’s life the magi were not only three in number but they had been named, given ages, and countries of origin. The vague, “wise men from the east,” had morphed into Caspar, an elderly king from Asia, Melchior, a middle aged man from Eastern Europe, and Balthasar, a young king from Africa. Note: during different periods the countries/continents of origin shifted greatly, but the idea that the three kings represented the known world at the time did not. The dominant theme was that kings of varying ages, from different continents,  journeyed to Bethlehem to honor the new king.

Caspar

In Dürer’s work, the eldest of the magi, Caspar, kneels in front of Mary holding out a chest of gold. The child reaches out toward Caspar and accepts the gift. Caspar is richly dressed in red robes trimmed in fur, his cap rests on a stone in front of him. Often it is the headgear used in nativity art that designates the wise men as foreigners. 

Critics have posited that the two standing wise men have been painted with doubt in their expressions. Imagine these men setting out on a journey to find the child that the stars foretold as the King of kings, only to find a babe in humble circumstances with a young woman of no social standing as his mother. Doubt is not an unreasonable response.

In contrast, Caspar, kneels with reverence before the child. I find it interesting that Dürer, as well as other artists, frequently paint the elderly Caspar as the one kneeling. Perhaps his age has brought the additional wisdom that things are not always as they appear. The greatness of this new king is not dependent on a lavish palace or royal parentage. 

Melchior

Dürer has based his portrayal of the second wise man on his own image. The long, blond curls and profile are quite close to the Dürer self portrait that currently hangs in the Prado. There is nothing unusual in picturing a wise man after a real individual. The tradition of including various recognizable people was well-established by this time. 

Beyond using himself as a model, Dürer has also pulled from his famous engraving of Adam and Eve which was completed that same year. For Melchior, Dürer mimics the idealized profile and downward gaze of his Adam, then adding his own distinctive hair and features. As we will see, Dürer further pulls from the Adam engraving for the third Wiseman. 

It is worth noting the extreme wealth displayed by this second wise man. The jewels on the chains around his neck and on his overcoat, along with the gold incense holder display his wealth and position. He has removed and holds in his hand a hat that is also bejeweled.

Our second wise man is in the prime of life. He is not elderly as Caspar is, nor a young man, like the third wise man. Between the three magi we have all of the stages of life, especially if we include the infant Jesus. By the 1600’s portraying the wise men’s age this way was a traditional practice and, along with their countries of origin, emphasized that the Christ was coming for all humankind. 

The Grouping of Mary and the Two Wise Men

It is worth noting that Mary Caspar, and Melchior,  along with the child at their center, form a pyramid, a common compositional choice during the Renaissance. The pyramid is the most stable structure and gives a work balance. Dominating ⅔ of the canvas, these three figures form a unit. Both Mary and Caspar are gazing in toward the baby, however, Melchior gazes off toward Balthazar directing our eye to continue around the painting. 

Balthazar

Our third magi, Balthazar, heralds from Africa and is commonly presented as a young man. During the 1300’s it became common in Germany to have a black Magus and the practice spread throughout Europe and was an established element in nativity works by the early 1500’s, especially in the North. 

In Dürer’s painting, the black magi is given his own unique space surrounded by nature rather than ruins. He stands alone, an erect column that mimics the contrapposto position of Adam in Dürer’s engraving. Balthazar is, in many ways, the center of this work. Our eye is drawn first to him as he is set apart, and unconsciously perhaps, we recognize that his chest is the vanishing point in the painting. 

The vanishing point is used by artists to establish a consistent perspective to give the work a realistic feeling. Melchior emphasizes this choice by Dürer by having his downcast gaze directed to the chest of Balthazar. 

The dark blue cloak complements and balances the blue of Mary’s dress, and while far simpler than the other wise men, manages to exude the same luxurious feel. Beyond his rich clothing the extravagance of the vessel containing his gift marks him as a wealthy and important foreign visitor. It feels appropriate that his gift resembles a globe.

A Note about Viewing Paintings Online

For art lovers the internet is a gift. We can explore museums, zoom in on great works, and visit sculptures that we would have little chance of seeing before the world of google. However, viewing a piece online can never replace seeing it in person. 

This work is a good reminder of that fact. Many of the world’s museums and collectors have generously moved their collections into the public online domain. For my purposes, I generally access works on Wikipedia where I can download easily, and zoom in on details. This means that I rely on their scans of the work. 

If there is an issue most often it is with color. In this case, looking at Balthazar I originally thought he was wearing a black tunic. However, when I headed over to the Uffizi site, which holds this work in their collection, you can clearly see that Balthazar’s cloak is the same color as Mary’s dress. 

This is a significant detail that I missed when first viewing the work. As I went over when talking about Mary, the blue ultramarine pigment is very expensive and is most often associated with the divine, and heaven. Here we have Dürer linking Mary and the black magi together with this special very paint. The reason he chose to do this is an intriguing question. 

Linking Balthazar and Mary

The Gifts 

Many believe the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh are an allusion to a vision that the prophet Isaiah had of the nations rendering tribute to Jerusalem. This verse is also why the wise men are often pictured with camels. Isaiah 60:6 reads:

“Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.”

Working from this verse Biblical scholars of the Middle Ages and Renaissance came up with theories about where the magi came from. Using the gifts, and their availability in various geographical locations they tried to match wise men to continents and regions. As the verse in Isaiah also named regions they influenced the theories. 

Background of Dürer’s Adoration of the Magi

As our gaze moves from the main figures in the work we note the spatial and structural elements Dürer has used. There are architectural archways that provide structure while remaining non-specific, meaning they don’t set the story in a specific location. We might find this odd as the Bible geographically anchors the story in Bethlehem. However, it was a common practice in the Renaissance to place the Biblical narrative in locations that the viewer would recognize to encourage them to imagine themselves into the story, to imagine Jesus entering their world. Modern viewers often resist this impulse as we seem to desire historical accuracy above all else. Renaissance painters had a different goal in mind, they wanted their paintings to encourage spiritual reflection, and were less interested in merely presenting a specific moment in history.

We see the Northern practice of placing the nativity in broken ruins, buildings that are crumbling. This was done to remind the viewer that Christ entered a broken world that was in need of a savior. 

As we move through the background we come across a cityscape in the distance that resembles a fairy tale. I love the whimsical charm of the buildings that climb up the mountain.  

Billowing Clouds and Herod’s Men

Continuing to the upper right of the work we see a billowing cloud that rises up in a column. During the Renaissance a cloud of this type was an icon for the presence of God.  In Exodus 13 we learn that during Israel’s wandering in the wilderness, God led them with a pillar of cloud by day, and pillar of fire at night. Artists through the centuries have pulled from this story to add a visual clue that God is present. 

Often, Northern Artists included signs that connected the birth of Jesus to the incarnation, or that God had taken of flesh and was now present in the world. Billowing clouds as a sign of the incarnation would not be as strange to the original viewer of this work.

Directly under the cloud we come upon an arch that has the crumbling remains of a long lost building on the top. Here Durer has painted a visual prophecy of the death of Christ as Herod’s horsemen rally together under the arch. They are on a quest to kill the newborn king. 

Upon learning that the Wise men were seeking a king, King Herod sent his men to Bethlehem to kill all the male babies, thus securing his power. According to the Biblical narrative, the wise men are warned in a dream that Herod seeks the baby’s life, and so they return home by another way. 

Animals, Insects, and Plants

During Dürers life he was known to be a keen naturalist. His paintings and sketches were used to illustrate botany text for centuries after his death. In this work we have some wonderful examples of his skill in accurately capturing nature. 

In the bottom of the painting we have a variety of plants and insects that are sometimes seen as iconic of Christ’s work in coming to the earth. On the right side we see a male stag beetle and a tuft of plantain.

Stag beetles are immediately identifiable by their large mandibles which they use to fight off other male beetles. In this sense they represent the fight between good and evil that Jesus has come to address. Additionally, stag beetles feed on decaying wood, making them a part of the cycle of life, or in more spiritual language, they are seen as a symbol of rebirth.  

The beetle is placed directly below a plantain plant which was valued for its healing properties. Together they tell the redemptive story that Christ has come to fight for humankind’s salvation and to bring healing to the earth. 

On the left side we have a curved millstone that could represent the tomb that Jesus will eventually be placed in. On top of the stone is a butterfly, which is universally understood to represent resurrection. 

The stone next to the millstone bears the signature of the artist. Dürer was one of the first artists to consistently sign his work. He developed a recognizable monogram that he used to, in essence, copyright his work. Dürer also added the year in which he finished the work. 

Behind the Virgin’s back we find the traditional ox and donkey. These are included because it was noted in the Old Testament that even the ox and donkey recognize their master. I’m particularly fond of the donkey’s mouth where he appears to be braying in celebration. 

In Conclusion

Taking all of the diverse elements together, Dürer has given us a fairly detailed and comprehensive lesson on what he believed Jesus’ mission was. As I read this work it seems to emphasize the universal nature of Christ’s coming, that God has entered human history with a message of spiritual resurrection that is for all people.