Lot 60 Dα

This painting follows the motif of Rubens' "Adoration of the Magi" now kept in the Museo del Prado in Madrid. Rubens was comissioned to paint this work by the city of Antwerp in 1609 to decorate the town hall. Three years later, the painting was given as a gift to the Spanish ambassador Rodrigo Calderón, who took it back with him to Spain where it eventually entered the royal painting collection. During a later sojourn to Spain, Rubens is known to have edited and expanded the work in 1628 - 29 to include a self-portrait, among other details.
The present copy by an unknown artist depicts the composition in the original, pre-1628, size as well as being inverted, denoting that it was probably based on the famous 1621 etching by Lucas Vorsterman. The piece is characterised not only by its fine brushwork but also by the unique metallic colour scheme which emphasises the work's nocturnal setting.