Adoration of the Magi (Biscaino) explained

Adoration of the Magi
Wikidata:Q99469838
Artist:Bartolomeo Biscaino
Year:1650s
Medium:oil paint on canvas
Movement:Baroque painting
Catholic art
Subject:Adoration of the Magi
Height Metric:124
Width Metric:173
Dimensions Ref:[1]
Metric Unit:cm
Museum:Musée des Beaux-Arts
City:Strasbourg
Accession:1878

Adoration of the Magi is a 1650s religious painting by the Italian Baroque artist from Genoa, Bartolomeo Biscaino. It is now in the Musée des Beaux-Arts of Strasbourg, France, for which it was bought in 1878, shortly after the city had decided to rebuild its collections, which had been completely destroyed on 24 August 1870, in the fire of the Aubette during the Siege of Strasbourg. Accordingly, the painting's inventory number is 1.[2] [3]

Until 1959, Adoration of the Magi had been thought to be a work by Valerio Castello (of whom the Strasbourg museum also owns a flamboyant Adoration of the Magi), but the attribution to Biscaino has been confirmed several times since. Although the painter died at a very young age and was only about 22 years old when he painted the Strasbourg canvas, the work is a perfectly achieved example of Ligurian Baroque, blending influences of Parmigianino and Correggio with influences of Rubens and Van Dyck.[1]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Roy . Alain . De Giotto à Goya. Peintures italiennes et espagnoles du musée des Beaux-Arts de Strasbourg . June 2017 . Musées de la ville de Strasbourg . 978-2-35125-151-5 . 194–195.
  2. Web site: L'Adoration des Mages . Base Joconde . 8 October 2020.
  3. Book: Jacquot . Dominique . Le musée des Beaux-Arts de Strasbourg. Cinq siècles de peinture . 2006 . Musées de Strasbourg . Strasbourg . 2-901833-78-0 . 92–93.