a chilly winter day: three men present gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh … Bruegel offers us a particularly successful irreverent scene

2. a Adoration of the Magi different …
Bruegel offers us a particularly successful irreverent scene

4. a chilly winter day:
three men present gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh …

5. The Adoration of the Kings
by
Pieter Bruegel the Elder
1564
National Gallery, London

10. The Holy Family
the virgin dressed in pink and wrapped in a long blue veil
his face does not seem to be of great beauty,
we do not find this serious and serene air that characterizes generally the face of the Madonna
his right hand is extended towards the kings, perhaps to receive their presents
his left hand holds the child that moves on her knees
is naked and seems very fearful, takes her mother’s hand and hugging her
Joseph is a stout man, with beard and white hair
dressed in a light brown coat, shows an elegant air
his attention is really required by a man who whispers in his ear ...
this total absence of majesty is contrary to the recommendations of the Counter-Reformation,
but Bruegel wished to represent Joseph as a simple peasant of his time and not as a sacred figure

16. The kings
the fear of the child seems very natural …
before him two old men bow, two long, wrinkled faces, devoid of beauty
the king kneeling before the child gives him a golden cup …
yellowish white hair,
dark green dress with golden edges and furs,
gold medallion belt,
big chain, still in gold
(this opulence does not mask the annoyances of old age)
at the feet a black hat and a sword

22. The Kings
the other old King doesn't look any better ...
strangely disheveled, face slighted
frontal balding, partial ptosis
greasy hair neglected
wears a large red coat less luxurious than that of his neighbor,
bows to the child to present him with a golden cup, finely chiseled

27. The Kings
the black king remains standing, waiting for their turn …
fully dressed in white, except for these red boots
in his hand a magnificent censer, a splendid example of contemporary goldsmith's art,
a golden ship constructed around a precious nautilus shell surmounted by a crystal orb

32. The Curious
soldiers menacing
and
spectators seem angry, disoriented or asinine
(the hat and profile of the man beside Joseph echo the donkey behind …)
... while kings offer or hope to offer their gold, frankincense and myrrh, the crowd only has eyes for the rich presents:
the soldier behind the Virgin looks wide-eyed at the container that contains myrrh
the man with glasses on the right seems to be looking greedily at the magnificent censer

43. olga_oes
The Adoration of the Kings
by
Pieter Bruegel the Elder
London
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Music Michael Meets Mozart - The Piano Guys
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44. Saint Matthew (2.1).
... When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother
Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with
gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

45. BRUEGEL, Pieter the Elder
L’Adoration des mages
The Adoration of the Kings
1564
National Gallery, London
In the chronological sequence of Bruegel's work, this painting of 1564 marks an important departure as the first
to be composed almost exclusively of large figures. The group of people, taken from Italian mannerist painters
like Parmigianino, permits Bruegel to concentrate on individual faces, giving each a quite distinct, and
sometimes grotesque, expression.
This emphasis on the uniqueness of each figure, and Bruegel's lack of interest in depicting ideal beauty in the
Italian manner, makes it clear that although borrowing an Italian compositional scheme, Bruegel is putting it to
quite a different use. In this treatment, the painter's first purpose is to record the range and intensity of
individual reactions to the sacred event.