The Adoration of the Magi – Workshop of Ambrosius I Francken (1544–1618)

Oak panel, three planks. Antwerp School, circa 1600, workshop of Ambrosius I Francken.
Our large composition depicts the episode recounted in the Gospel according to Matthew, in which kings from distant lands pay homage to the Messiah who has just been born. They are accompanied by their retinues; soldiers, emissaries, servants, and animals (horses, dromedaries, and even an elephant!) form a colorful and animated procession that brings the work to life.
Melchior, depicted as an old man with white hair, kneels and offers gold in recognition of the Child’s kingship. Gaspar, wearing a broad-brimmed hat beneath his crown, brings frankincense, symbolizing the divinity of Jesus. Finally, Balthazar, dressed in a luxurious white cloak, offers myrrh, evoking the Child’s future sacrifice.
In a distinctly Antwerp manner, our painter deploys a palette of warm colors dominated by reddish browns and ochres, giving the work a glowing atmosphere and a dreamlike character. The influence of Frans Floris, master of Ambrosius I Francken, is clearly perceptible.
“The Adoration of the Magi” is one of the most popular themes in Christian iconography, and the greatest artists, Giotto, Fra Angelico, Memling, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, and Dürer among them, produced masterful interpretations of the subject.
Our large painting is presented in a blackened wood cassetta frame.
Dimensions: 73 × 104 cm for the panel – 93 × 124 cm with the frame.
Biography:
Ambrosius I Francken, or Ambrosius Francken the Elder (Herentals 1544 – Antwerp 1618), was one of the four sons of Nicolaes Francken, founder of the Francken dynasty (see family tree). Like him, his brothers Hieronymus I Francken and Frans I Francken pursued careers as painters. Ambrosius was a pupil of Frans Floris, whose influence is visible in his works. He worked successively in Tournai and then at Fontainebleau around 1570. In 1573, having returned to Antwerp, he was admitted to the Guild of Saint Luke, of which he became vice-dean in 1581. Like every member of the Francken dynasty, Ambrosius was a great colorist, which contributed to the success of his paintings. Many of his works are preserved in Antwerp (Saint James’ Church, Antwerp Museum, etc.).
Bibliography:
- HARTING, Ursula, Frans Francken der Jüngere (1581-1642): die Gemälde mit kritischem Oeuvrekatalog, Freren, Luca, 1989
- PEETERS, Natasja, “Den quaden tyt? The artistic career of the young Ambrosius Francken before the Fall of Antwerp”, in Oud Holland, 2008, Vol. 121, No. 2/3 (2008), pp. 99-116.
- VEZILIER DUSSART Sandrine, La Dynastie Francken, collective publication for the exhibition at the Musée de Flandre, September 4, 2021 – January 2, 2022. In Fine, 2021