The Adoration of the Magi

c. 1640

Pietro Testa

Associated Names
Pietro Testa

Artist, Italian, 1612 - 1650

This is a drawing of cherubs in a radiant sky with figures gathered around a central point. The etching depicts a celestial event featuring cherubs encircling a glowing starburst in the sky. Below them, a crowd of men in robes are gathered, with gestures of awe and reverence. The background includes ornate architecture, partially visible pillars, and a natural landscape with trees and hills. The scene conveys a sense of movement and divine occurrence through the positioning and expression of the figures, as well as the detailed rendering of the starburst effect in the sky.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching

  • Credit Line

    Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund

  • Accession Number

    1972.66.45

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Bartsch, no. 3


Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

1974

  • NGA Recent Acquisitions 1974, no. 97.

1983

  • Graphic Survey Show, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., July 1983.

Bibliography

1802

  • Bartsch, Adam. Le peintre graveur. 21 vols. Vienna, 1802-1821: Adam. Le peintre graveur. 21 vols. Vienna: J.V. Degen, 1802-1821.

1988

  • Cropper, Elizabeth. Pietro Testa 1612 - 1650: Prints and Drawings. Philadelphia, 1988: no. 63, i/ii

Wikidata ID

Q65576306

You may be interested in

Loading Results