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Notes
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Unusually, Dosso has set the Adoration of the Kings at night, which provided opportunities for the flickering brushwork for which he is noted. The huge harvest moon with a pink aureole, traversed by storm clouds, casts a mysterious golden light that picks out features of the fortified town in the background. On the left-hand side of the scene is what looks like a cave, but is in fact architecture covered by vegetation. This is the artist’s version of the ruined arch – a common symbol in scenes of the Nativity, representing the decline of the old and the coming of a new age. The dramatic moon gives the scene a portentous feel; at the time the painting was made, such meterological effects were frequently interpreted as carrying meaning or presaging important events.
Title
The Adoration of the Kings
Date
probably 1530-42
Medium
Oil on wood
Measurements
H 85.1 x W 108 cm
Accession number
NG3924
Acquisition method
Mond Bequest, 1924
Work type
Painting
The National Gallery, London
Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England
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