Three Kings / Magi adoring Christ

One more painting of the three Kings/Magi ('Nog een schildery vande drye koningen') in the Great Hall, room I.

A comparable painting from the Utrecht School is shown here: Hendrik Ter Brugghen, Adoration by the 3 Magi/Kings/Wise men, 1619. This scene shows the handing over of myrrh and two other gifts by Melchior (Asia), the young Caspar (Europe) and the black Bathasar (Africa). For the bible story see the New Testament, Matthew 2:1-12 ; for more imagery: iconclass 73 B 5. This painting by H. Ter Brugghen is in the Rijksmuseum.

Note : Photo inventory number SK-A-4188 Copyright Rijksmuseum Foundation. The Rijksmuseum has graciously assisted in this project Digital Home of Johannes Vermeer. The author was given permission to make a selection in the vast photo archive and this material has been made available by the Rijksmuseum. Photo Copyright Rijksmuseum Foundation. The Rijksmuseum has graciously assisted in this project Digital Home of Johannes Vermeer. The author was given permission to make a selection in the vast photo archive and this material has been made available by the Rijksmuseum.

This object was part of the Vermeer-inventory as listed by the clerk working for Delft notary public J. van Veen. He made this list on February 29, 1676, in the Thins/Vermeer home located on Oude Langendijk on the corner of Molenpoort. The painter Johannes Vermeer had died there at the end of December 1675. His widow Catherina and their eleven children still lived there with her mother Maria Thins.

The transcription of the 1676 inventory, now in the Delft archives, is based upon its first full publication by A.J.J.M. van Peer, "Drie collecties...", Oud Holland, 1957, pp. 98-103. My additions and explanations are added in square brackets [__]. Dutch terms have been checked against the world's largest language dictionary, the Dictionary of the Dutch Language (Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal , or WNT), which was begun by De Vries en Te Winkel in 1882.

This page forms part of a large encyclopedic site on Vermeer and Delft. Research by Drs. Kees Kaldenbach (email). A full presentation is on view at johannesvermeer.info.

Launched December, 2002; Last update March 2, 2017.

Back to the Welcome page: click Welcome.