Adoration of the Magi

Justus van Gent (Joos van Wassenhove) was a Flemish painter who relocated to Italy and became court painter to Federico da Montefeltro in Urbino. This Adoration of the Magi from around 1490 reflects his unique synthesis of Netherlandish technique with Italian Renaissance spatial composition. His migration to Italy made him one of the earliest Flemish painters to work permanently in the peninsula. This work belongs to the High Renaissance, when the innovations of the preceding century were synthesized into works of monumental clarity and ideal beauty.

Oil on panel combining Flemish meticulous surface treatment with Italian perspectival construction. The magi's costumes show Netherlandish detail while the spatial arrangement reflects Italian influence.