Altar of Mary: Adoration of the Magi

The Master of the Polling Panels's Altar of Mary depicting the Adoration of the Magi, painted around 1444 and now in the Bavarian State Painting Collections, shows the three Wise Men from the East presenting their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the infant Christ at Bethlehem — one of the most beloved and visually rich subjects in the entire Christian tradition. The Adoration of the Magi allowed painters to depict exotic dress and distant lands, the full range of ages (the three Magi were conventionally shown as young, middle-aged, and elderly), lavish gifts, and the contrast between humble poverty of the stable and the wealth of royal visitors.

Tempera on panel. The three Magi are shown in elaborate courtly costume with their distinctive age differentiation — old Caspar prostrating himself, middle-aged Balthasar, and young Melchior standing behind.