This exquisite early 16th-century Italian panel captures one of Christianity’s most cherished moments - the Adoration of the Magi. Painted around 1530, this panel belongs to a moment when Michelangelo and Titian were still actively shaping European art, when Raphael’s influence remained fresh, and when the devotional traditions of the late medieval world were being reimagined through the lens of the Renaissance.
The Virgin sits serenely beneath the rustic shelter of the stable, the Christ Child on her lap, as the three kings kneel and stand before Him, offering gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Their gestures form a slow procession of reverence: the eldest kneels, his crown set aside in humility; the middle king pauses in contemplation; and the youngest - the Black Magus - gazes with a youthful devotion that seems to illuminate the entire scene.
This is the familiar story of Epiphany, retold not in grandeur but in grace. The Magi, guided by the star, symbolise all nations coming to recognise divinity in human form. Their three gifts prefigure Christ’s destiny - gold for His kingship, frankincense for His divinity, and myrrh for His mortal suffering.
Executed by an artist of the Romagnola School, probably active between Forlì and Faenza, the painting unites clear, linear design with the colouring of Northern Italy. Its balanced composition, crystalline landscape, and softly lit figures evoke the clarity of Marco Palmezzano’s circle, where sacred subjects were rendered with compassion. The scene would once have served as a private panel for prayer or contemplation.
The inclusion of a Black Magus enriches the image’s meaning. By the early sixteenth century, artists across Europe had come to depict one of the kings as African - a visual symbol of Christianity’s universality. In this Romagnola interpretation, his presence feels integrated rather than exoticised. He is young, radiant, and reverent - not a stranger at the scene, but a full participant in the revelation of faith. His presence proclaims that all peoples, all races, and all nations share in the light of Epiphany.
In its modest scale and heartfelt execution, this painting glows with the same quiet majesty as the story it tells - a meeting of heaven and earth, difference and unity. It is a small masterpiece: a glimpse of the sacred through human eyes. A rare little gem to treasure.
Held in a late 19th-century Italian carved and gilded frame with broad laurel-leaf trails along the moulded outer edge, a recessed cushion profile, and an inner beaded slip that gently contains the painted surface.
Medium: Oil with remnants of gilding on panel
Overall size: 23” x 26” / 59cm x 66cm
Year of creation: c. 1530
Provenance: Private collection, Italy.
Condition: Cleaned. Revarnished. Fine craquelure throughout. The paint layer is stable. Historic repairs. Slight bow to the panel as you would expect. Frame with various marks and showing its age.
Our reference: BRV2215
