Jan Gossaert - The Adoration of the Kings [1510-15]

Jan Gossaert - The Adoration of the Kings [1510-15], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

This large picture was probably painted as the altarpiece of the Lady Chapel at St Adrian's Grammont, near Brussels. The kneeling king, Caspar, is probably a portrait of Johannes de Broeder, who became abbot there in 1506 and may have commissioned the picture. Behind him stands Melchior with a retinue of attendants. Balthazar is on the left. Further back an onlooker, seen through a doorway, may be a self portrait of the artist.The dove, symbol of the Holy Spirit, descends to the infant Christ from the brilliant star in the sky, and angels approach from a great distance through a series of arches, giving the scene a spectacular sense of space and depth.

Gossaert used the bright colour and highly detailed oil painting technique of his 15th-century Netherlandish predecessors to sophisticated effect. The figures wear sumptuous costumes made of rich fabrics. The metalwork gifts presented by the kings are elaborate and reflect current designs.

[National Gallery, London - Oil on wood, 177.2 x 161.3 cm]

Jan Gossaert - An Elderly Couple [c.1520]

Jan Gossaert - An Elderly Couple [c.1520], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

The only known double portrait by Gossaert. The sitters have not been identified. On the badge on the man's hat a young naked couple with a cornucopia are depicted, clearly providing a contrast with the age of the subjects, and perhaps an ironic comment on their present state.

Jan Gossaert, sometimes called Mabuse, is often described as a pioneering Romanist: he was one of the first Flemish artists to travel to Italy, and to use aspects of Italian art in the Netherlands. Gossaert's experience of Italian art, however, radically affected his output. He adopted ideas from classical art and from 16th-century works, and created statuesque nudes, in pictures such as the Adam and Eve.

[Oil on parchment laid down on canvas, 46 x 66.9 cm]