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North Netherlandish 15th Century

The Adoration of the Magi, fourth quarter 15th century

Not on View

Medium

oil on canvas transferred from panel

Dimensions

overall: 183 x 164.5 cm (72 1/16 x 64 3/4 in.)

framed: 215.9 x 203.2 x 12 cm (85 x 80 x 4 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Samuel H. Kress Collection

Accession Number

1952.5.41

Artists / Makers

North Netherlandish 15th Century (painter)

Image Use

This image is in the public domain.
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Provenance

Probably from a convent in the province of Guipuzcoa, Spain.[1] (Arthur J. Sulley, London);[2] (Count Alessandro Contini Bonacossi, Rome), by 1926;[3] purchased April 1927 by Samuel H. Kress [1863-1955], New York;[4] gift 1952 by exchange to NGA.

[1] The precise basis for the tradition that the picture comes from the Basque province of Guipuzcoa has not been found. In a statement in the NGA curatorial files, Robert Quinn analyzed the history and holdings of various monastic establishments in the province, concluding that the most likely candidates for ownership of the Adoration were the Convento de Bidaurrete and the Convento de Aránzazu, both in Oñate; see also Colin Eisler, Paintings from the Samuel H. Kress Collection: European Schools Excluding Italian, Oxford, 1977: 65-66.

[2] See note 4; Max Friedlander, in a letter of 21 March 1937 to Kress commenting on a photograph of the painting, says "I have seen the original many years ago in London." This information and note 4 have been added to the provenance after the 1986 publication of the NGA systematic catalogue of Netherlandish paintings.

[3] See certificate of Roberto Longhi, November 1926, in the NGA curatorial files.

[4] The bill of sale for eight paintings is dated 6 April 1927 (copy in NGA curatorial files; see also The Kress Collection Digital Archive, https://kress.nga.gov/Detail/objects/2040.). The painting is described as follows: "A picture representing The Adoration of the Maggi[sic] - An early painting attributed to the Dutch School, said to be painted not later than 1480. Transferred from an oaken panel. From a Convent in Spain. From Mr. A. S.[sic] Sulley London." A label on the back of the painting repeats this, except for reference to Sulley, which is handwritten on the typewritten bill of sale.

Associated Names

Contini Bonacossi, Alessandro, Count
Convent, Vallodolid, ESP
Kress Foundation, Samuel H.
Kress, Samuel H.
Sulley & Co., Arthur J.

Technical Summary

The paint and ground layers were transferred at an unknown date from a panel that had six vertical members, as is evident from traces of the joins still visible in raking light. The present canvas support has been relined. The type of wood making up the original panel is unknown, though a label affixed to the back of the frame states that it was "transferred from an oaken panel."[1] The painting has a smooth white ground with underdrawing to which the painted design conforms quite precisely.

The painting is in good condition. There are some areas of loss and abrasion, particularly at the edges and along the former joins in the panel, in the blue cloak of the Virgin and the area around her head, especially her veil, and in the right wall of the shed, as well as numerous tiny losses throughout. The old inpainting has discolored in these areas.

[1] The label reads: "PP-A2 - a picture representing The Adoration of the Maggi [sic]. An early painting attributed to the Dutch School, said to be painted not later than 1480. Transferred from an oaken panel. From a convent in Spain. Contini - New York, 4-6-1927. $EM, NxN."

Bibliography

1951: Paintings and Sculpture from the Kress Collection Acquired by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation 1945-1951. Introduction by John Walker, text by William E. Suida. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1951: 184, no. 81, repro., as by Hispano-Dutch Master.

1959: Paintings and Sculpture from the Samuel H. Kress Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1959: 319, repro., as by Hispano-Dutch Master.

1960: Evans, Grose. Spanish Painting in the National Gallery of Art. Washington, D.C., 1960 (Booklet Number Ten in Ten Schools of Painting in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.): 12, color repro., as by Hispano-Dutch Master.

1965: Summary Catalogue of European Paintings and Sculpture. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1965: 67, as Hispano-Dutch School.

1968: National Gallery of Art. European Paintings and Sculpture, Illustrations. Washington, 1968: 59, repro., as Hispano-Dutch School.

1975: European Paintings: An Illustrated Summary Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1975: 174, repro., as Hispano-Dutch School.

1977: Eisler, Colin. Paintings from the Samuel H. Kress Collection: European Schools Excluding Italian. Oxford, 1977: 64-66, fig. 59, as The Epiphany by Master of the Kress Epiphany.

1984: Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington. Rev. ed. New York, 1984: 125, no. 109, color repro., as by Hispano-Dutch School.

1985: European Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1985: 293, repro.

1986: Hand, John Oliver and Martha Wolff. Early Netherlandish Painting. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, 1986: 213-215, repro. 215.

2021: Radermecker, Anne-Sophie V. Anonymous Art at Auction: The Reception of Early Flemish Paintings in the Western Art Market (1946-2015). Leiden, 2021: xv, 218 color fig. 22.