101 - Novohispanic School. Mexico. 18th century.

Novohispanic School. Mexico. 18th century. 'The Adoration of the Magi' Oil on canvas. 46 x 93 cm. As for the iconography of this artwork, the Kings are known in the Christian religion as the Magi, figures who appear in a very brief account in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 2:1–12), although the evangelist does not mention their names. It was through the apocryphal gospels that details were gradually added to this story, which the Church would later accept (the number of three Kings was officially adopted by ecclesiastical doctrine under Pope Leo I, who affirmed it in the 4th century in his “Sermons for the Epiphany”), and which artists would then incorporate into their works. Throughout the Middle Ages, stories began to circulate speculating about who exactly the three famous Kings who visited the Christ Child were. Many assumed that they came from somewhere in the East. Eventually, it was decided that the three Kings would represent the three principal continents of the time: Europe, Asia, and Africa. The three names that prevailed over the centuries were King Gaspar (or Caspar), King Melchior, and King Balthazar. The prominence of this story of the Three Wise Men is due to the deep theological meaning contained in the biblical account, to their exotic garments and appearance, and to the grandeur and costliness of their gifts. According to the ecclesiastical calendar, the event depicted is celebrated in Western Christianity as the Feast of the Epiphany (January 5); in the Eastern Orthodox Church, it is celebrated as the Adoration of the Magi (December 25). The term we have used as the title of this work is an anglicized form taken from the Vulgate, specifically from the Latin section of this passage: 'A MAGIS ADORATUR'.