Lot 1502 Dα

In this work, the Adoration of the Magi is depicted against a backdrop of architectural ruins interspersed with Renaissance motifs, which extends uniformly over the central and side panels of the triptych. In the central panel, the eldest magus presents his gift to the infant Jesus seated on the Madonna's lap. A harmonious triangular composition is created by the figures of the Virgin, the magus and Joseph standing in the middle behind them. The two younger magi are depicted on each of the side panels.
In his fundamental 1915 essay "Die Antwerpener Manieristen von 1520“, Max J. Friedländer assigned the present triptych to a painter for whom he coined the name "Master of 1518". He derived this notname from the date of 1518 on the side panels of an altarpiece in the Marienkirche in Lübeck. In 1966, Georges Marlier was able to identify this master as the Tournai-born painter Jan Mertens van Dornicke, this identification has been widely adopted in literature. Marlier also assigned the present triptych to this master.
Jan Mertens van Dornicke became an apprentice to Jan Gossaert in 1505 and was listed as a freeman in the Antwerp Guild of St Luke in 1509/10. He played a central role in the artistic life of early 16th-century Antwerp and executed numerous altarpieces together with his workshop, often with scenes from the lives of Christ and the Virgin. His son-in-law Pieter Coecke van Aelst may have later taken over his workshop.
The present triptych, which is in excellent condition, displays all the characteristics of Jan Mertens van Dornicke's style, including his preference for compositions with few figures. Thus, the side panels are each occupied by one magus each, which makes the figures appear almost monumental. Also characteristic of the master are the elongated heads with straight noses and short chins, as well as the slender hands with long fingers. The artist's characteristic heavy fabrics and thick drapery are found especially in the clothing of the two magi on the side panels.
With strong colouring coming from the precious robes, the biblical scene of the Adoration unfolds in front of ruins incorporating contemporary Renaissance motifs, which open up onto a view of a city in the central panel and a harmonious, tree-lined landscape under a broad horizon on the side panels.