European King from an Adoration Group
In the Middle Ages, three men bearing precious gifts were easily recognizable as the Three Magi who presented treasures to the infant Jesus on the twelfth day after his birth. The figures appeared only as "wise men from the East" in the Gospels, but their stories were embellished over the centuries until they came to represent three continents and three stages of life: the youthful African king, graceful and beardless; the middle-aged European king, mature and powerful; and the aging Asian king, bald and wise. Together they reflect a medieval Christian worldview in which far-flung empires could be united in submission to divine power.
Artwork Details
- Title: European King from an Adoration Group
- Date: before 1489
- Geography: Made in Swabia, Germany
- Culture: German
- Medium: Poplar with paint and gilding
- Dimensions: 64 1/2 × 25 × 13 1/2 in., 68 lb. (163.8 × 63.5 × 34.3 cm, 30.8 kg)
- Classification: Sculpture-Vessels
- Credit Line: The Cloisters Collection, 1952
- Object Number: 52.83.3
- Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters
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German
before 1489
German
before 1489
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ca. 1490
Hans Thoman
ca. 1515–20
Tilman Riemenschneider
ca. 1495
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