The Adoration of the Magi

Nicolas Cochin

Associated Names
Nicolas Cochin

Artist, French, 1610 - 1686

The image shows a detailed drawing capturing a busy scene filled with figures, trees, and architectural elements. The composition is dense with figures and foliage, with ruins of classical architecture at the center. The drawing uses intricate line work and fine hatching to create texture and depth. The color palette is monochromatic in black and white. Various characters and animals populate the scene, with diverse clothing and postures showing a lively and narrative quality. In the distance, more trees frame the composition, and small figures fade into the background. The sky above features heavenly figures and angels, adding an ethereal element to the scene below.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching with engraving on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 24.4 x 33.8 cm (9 5/8 x 13 5/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2006.87.1

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    IFF (1600), no. 157


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Princes of Waldburg Wolfegg, Wolfegg (Lugt 2542); (Paul Prouté, SA, Paris); purchased 2006 by NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2008

  • Medieval to Modern: Recent Acquisitions of Drawings, Prints, and Illustrated Books, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2008, no. 36.

Bibliography

1939

  • IFF (1600)

2006

  • Paul Prouté S.A., Catalogue No. 128. Paris, 2006: no. 137.

Inscriptions

lower left below image: Cochin fe; lower right below image: le Blond exc. cum Privil; by later hand, lower right verso in graphite: 050636

Watermarks

coat of arms

Wikidata ID

Q76349207

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