Adoration of the Magi
Unidentified artist, Viceroyalty of Peru, 18th century
Oil on canvas
162 × 112.5 cm
The Magi approach the Virgin and Child in a richly ornamented eighteenth-century composition from the Viceroyalty of Peru. Elaborate gold decoration lends ceremonial splendour to the encounter and connects the canvas with the painting of Cusco.
The three Magi present their homage to the Christ Child, held by the Virgin. The figures fill the tall canvas with a sequence of gestures and richly worked garments, bringing the sacred encounter close to the viewer.
Gold decoration plays a central role in the image. Patterns across the textiles heighten the ceremonial character of the scene, combining the narrative of the Epiphany with the ornamental richness associated with Andean devotional painting.
The work is catalogued as an anonymous eighteenth-century painting from the Viceroyalty of Peru. In El Manto de los Pueblos, Ewa Kubiak proposes Cusco as its likely place of execution on the basis of its figures, facial types and decorative gilding.