Triptych of the Adoration of the Magi

Pieter Coecke van Aelst's Triptych of the Adoration of the Magi represents one of the ambitious altarpiece commissions that established the Aalst-born painter as a major figure in mid-sixteenth-century Flemish art. Coecke, who was also a prolific designer of tapestries and woodcuts, brought a distinctly architectural sensibility to his painting, and his altarpieces deploy elaborate Renaissance architectural settings that reflect his documented interest in Vitruvian theory. The Adoration, with its opportunity for exotic pageantry and intricate figure groups, allowed him to demonstrate both compositional invention and the technical mastery expected of major altarpiece commissions.

The triptych format presents the Epiphany narrative with Coecke's characteristic blend of Netherlandish detail and Italianate compositional grandeur. His study of Raphael's designs enriches the traditional subject.