"The Adoration of Magi"

Peter Brueghel, the Elder, addressed the theme of the gospel three times in his artistic career. Art historians believe that all three paintings of the same name are part of a series. None of these works show the scene with the splendor or idealization of the subjects considered appropriate in the Catholic orthodoxy of the day. The first was painted between 1556 and 1562 and is very poorly preserved. The second version, dated 1564, is exhibited at the National Gallery of London. Bruegel used a relatively common style of Catholic iconography in these paintings. The center is the Holy Family surrounded by a jumble of other images. This picture is painted in warm colors to show the contrast between the figure of the Madonna and the environment, being a compositional center.