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Inside a church-like space with columns, pointed arches, and stained glass windows, eight regally dressed, light-skinned people stand around and look at a naked male baby held over an altar by a woman and a man in this vertical painting. The baby has wispy blond hair, long arms and legs, a narrow torso, and his facial features are proportioned like those of an adult. To our left of the baby, the woman holding the infant faces to our right almost in profile. She is smooth skinned with hooded brown eyes, a long nose, and a rosebud mouth. She wears an ocean-blue robe trimmed with gold, and a white headpiece covers her head and neck. Gold lines radiating from the heads of the woman and baby create halos. Opposite the woman, to our right, the man supporting the baby faces to our left in profile as he gazes down at the infant. Deep wrinkles line his forehead, eyes, and cheeks, and he is balding with silvery-gray hair. He wears a royal-purple, ankle-length robe over a garment patterned with stylized, ruby-red flowers against a shiny gold background. He also wears a red shoulder cape and yellow shoes with pointed toes. Directly behind the baby, an old woman looks into the distance to our left with deep-set eyes in her wrinkled face. She wears a moss-green dress and a white headdress, and she gestures with her right palm up toward the baby. A trio of people stand to our left, looking toward the central group. To our far left, an older, balding man with gray hair and a deeply lined face wears a red robe with a black hood. In his left hand, he holds a wicker birdcage shaped like a pitcher with a swelling body and a narrow neck, containing a slate-blue bird. He holds a wooden cane in his other hand. Two young women standing next to him both have almond-shaped eyes under arched brows, and delicate noses and mouths. Their blond hair is pulled back with tall, jeweled, black, gold, and red headdresses. They both wear black dresses trimmed with fur at the neckline, and sheer fabric covers their chests. The older girl, to our right, wears a gold, jeweled necklace. To our right of and behind the central trio, two men watch the proceedings. The altar seems to be placed within an arched arcade, with a view to a ruined wall and another building to our right. To our left, the gray stone wall is densely ornamented with stylized, leaf-like decorations carved along the molding and shallow gables. Beyond the altar, the building opens into a curved, apse-like space with three levels of arches and colorful windows.

Master of the Prado "Adoration of the Magi"

The Presentation in the Temple, c. 1470/1480

West Building, Main Floor — Gallery 39

Medium

oil on panel

Dimensions

painted surface: 57.9 x 47.8 cm (22 13/16 x 18 13/16 in.)
overall (panel): 59 x 48.1 cm (23 1/4 x 18 15/16 in.)

Credit Line

Samuel H. Kress Collection

Accession Number

1961.9.28

Artists / Makers

Master of the Prado "Adoration of the Magi" (painter) Netherlandish, active probably third quarter 15th century

Image Use

This image is in the public domain.
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Provenance

Count Johann Rudolph Czernin von Chudenitz [1757-1845], Vienna, by 1823;[1] by inheritance through the family of the counts Czernin, Vienna; Count Eugen Czernin von Chudenitz [1892-1955], Vienna, until about 1954. (Wildenstein & Co., Inc., New York), by 1954; purchased 1955 by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York;[2] gift 1961 to NGA.

[1] Franz Heinrich Böckh, Merkwürdigkeiten der Haupt- und Residenz-Stadt Wien und ihrer nächsten Umgebungen; ein Handbuch für Einheimische und Fremde, 2 vols., Vienna, 1823: I:294-295. Colin Eisler, in Paintings from the Samuel H. Kress Collection: European Schools Excluding Italian, Oxford, 1977: 59-60, states that Czernin probably purchased the painting from Edward Solly; the basis for this statement is not given, however.

[2] A letter dated 8 February 1955 from Wildenstein & Co. to the Kress Foundation outlines the agreement for the sale of two paintings and a bronze figure (see copies in NGA curatorial files and The Kress Collection Digital Archive, https://kress.nga.gov/Detail/objects/2271). One of the paintings was Presentation in the Temple "by Memling."

Associated Names

Czernin von Chudenitz, Eugen, Count
Czernin von Chudenitz, Johann Rudolf, Count
Czernin, The Counts
Kress Foundation, Samuel H.
Wildenstein & Co., Inc.

Exhibition History

1930: CX. Ausstellung der Vereinigung bildender Künstler Wiener Secession: Drei Jahrhunderte vlämische Kunst 1400-1700, Wiener Secession, Vienna, 1930, no. 31.

2009: Rogier van der Weyden, 1400-1464: Master of Passions, Municipal Museum Vander Kelen-Mertens, Leuven, 2009.

2013: The Heritage of Rogier van der Weyden: Painting in Brussels 1450-1520, Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels, 2013, no. 14.3, repro.

Technical Summary

The panel is composed of two vertical members with a join approximately 18 cm from the left edge. There are unpainted edges at top and bottom and on the right side. The left side has been cut and a narrow strip affixed at the edge. It is not clear how much, if any, of the design has been cut off at this side. The back of the panel is covered by a thin layer of wax. Removal of a small area of wax indicated that the panel has probably been thinned. The back of the panel appears to be beveled on all sides except on that corresponding to the front right edge.

Both architecture and figures are prepared with free, angular underdrawing in what appears to be black chalk, and guidelines for the architecture at the left are incised into the ground. The paint surface is in excellent condition, with only a few small areas of loss and little abrasion.

Bibliography

1823: Böckh, Franz Heinrich. Merkwürdigkeiten der Haupt- und Residenz-Stadt Wien und ihrer nächsten Umgebungen; ein Handbuch für Einheimische und Fremde. 2 vols. Vienna, 1823: 1:295.

1841: Passavant, J. D. "Beiträge zur Kenntniss der alniederländischen Malerschulen des 15ten und 16ten Jahrhunderts." Kunstblatt no. 5 (1841): 19.

1847: Waagen, Gustav Friedrich. "Nachträge zur Kenntniss der alniederländischen Malerschulen." Kunstblatt no. 47 (1847): 186.

1866: Waagen, Gustav Friedrich. Die vornehmsten Kunstdenkmäler in Wien. 2 vols. Vienna, 1866: 1:306, no. 27.

1872: Crowe, J. A., and G.B. Cavalcaselle. The Early Flemish Painters: Notices of their Lives and Works. 2nd ed. London, 1872: 219.

1889: Leprieur, Paul. "Des répliques de l'Adoration des Mages d'Utrecht." La Chronique des Arts et de la Curiosité no. 40 (1889): 316.

1903: Friedländer, Max J. Meisterwerke der niederländischen Malerei des XV. u. XVI. Jahrhunderts auf der Ausstellung zu Brügge 1902. Munich, 1903: 14.

1906: Voll, Karl. Die altniederländische Malerei von Jan van Eyck bis Memling. Leipzig, 1906: 287.

1907: Vollmer, Hans. "Memling." In Thieme-Becker. 37 vols. Leipzig, 1907-1950: 24(1930):375.

1908: Katalog der Graf Czernin'schen Gemälde-Galerie in Wien. Vienna, 1908: 5, no. 27.

1924

Friedländer, Max J. Die altniederländische Malerei. 14 vols. Berlin and Leiden, 1924-1937. Berlin, 1934: 6:18-20, 133, no. 99B. (English transl. 14 vols. Leiden, 1967-1976. Leiden, 1971: 6 pt. 2:15-16, 57, no. 99B, pl. 125) under "Doubtful works of Memlinc."

Friedländer, Max J. Die altniederländische Malerei 14 vols. Berlin and Leiden 1924-1937. Berlin, 1924: 2:119, no. 85. (English ed., 14 vols., 1967-1976. Leiden, 1967: 2:77, 101, no. 85, pl. 106) as "follower of Rogier."

1928: Hulin de Loo, Georges. "Hans Memlinc in Rogier van der Weyden's Studio."The Burlington Magazine 52 (1928): 160-177, pls. 111 B, IV A.

1928: Kaines Smith, S. C. "An Isenbrant for Birmingham." The Burlington Magazine 53 (1928): 243.

1930: Baldass, Ludwig. "Drei Jahrhunderte flämische Malerei." Pantheon 5 (1930): 132, repro. 131.

1930: Destrée, Jules. Roger de la Pasture - Van der Weyden. 2 vols. Paris and Brussels, 1930: 1:162-163, pl. 110.

1930: Eisler, Max. "The Exhibition of Three Hundred Years of Flemish Art in Vienna." Apollo 11 (1930): 188-189.

1930: Glück, Gustav. "Drei Jahrhunderte vlämischer Kunst." Belvedere 9 (1930): 77, fig. 50.

1931: Friedländer, Max J. "Ein Jugendwerk Memlings." Pantheon 7 (1931): 186.

1933: Museo del Prado. Catálogo de las Pinturas. Madrid, 1933: 400-401.

1936: Wilczek, Karl. Katalog der Graf Czernin'schen Gemäldegalerie in Wien. Vienna, 1936: 100-101, no. 27, fig. 18.

1938: Hulin de Loo, Georges. "Rogier van der Weyden." In Biographie Nationale de Belgique. 29 vols. Brussels, 1938: 27:col. 241.

1939: Exposition Memling. Exh. cat. Musée Communale, Bruges, 1939: 65-66.

1941: De Tolnay, Charles. "Flemish Paintings in the National Gallery of Art." Magazine of Art 34 (April 1941): 200.

1942: Baldass, Ludwig von. Hans Memling. Vienna, 1942: 40.

1942: Bergmans, Simone. "Visages du passé." Apollo. Chronique des beaux-arts no. 12 (1942): 5-8.

1947: Friedländer, Max J. Memling. Amsterdam, [1947]: 10-11.

1952: Bergmans, Simone. La peinture ancienne, ses mystères, ses secrets. Brussels, 1952: 86-87.

1953: Panofsky Erwin. Early Netherlandish Painting: Its Origins and Character. 2 vols. Cambridge, Mass., 1953: 1:479.

1956: Paintings and Sculpture from the Kress Collection Acquired by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation 1951-56. Introduction by John Walker, text by William E. Suida and Fern Rusk Shapley. National Gallery of Art. Washington, 1956: 11, 128, 130, repro. 129, 131.

1956: Walker, John. "The Nation's Newest Old Masters." National Geographic Magazine 110, no. 5 (November 1956): repro. 622 (X-ray), repro. 623, repros. 625 (details), 644-645.

1959: Paintings and Sculpture from the Samuel H. Kress Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1959: 283, repro., as by Hans Memling.

1960: Flanders in the Fifteenth Century: Art and Civilization. Exh. cat. The Detroit Institute of Arts, 1960: 139.

1960: The National Gallery of Art and Its Collections. Foreword by Perry B. Cott and notes by Otto Stelzer. National Gallery of Art, Washington (undated, 1960s): 4, 11, 23, color repro., as by Hans Memling.

1961: Walker, John, Guy Emerson, and Charles Seymour. Art Treasures for America: An Anthology of Paintings & Sculpture in the Samuel H. Kress Collection. London, 1961: 63-65, 213, color fig. 57, 58; color frontispiece, as by Memling.

1962: Cairns, Huntington, and John Walker, eds. Treasures from the National Gallery of Art. New York, 1962: 54, color repro., as by Hans Memling.

1962: Neugass, Fritz. "Die Auflösung der Sammlung Kress." Die Weltkunst 32, no. 1 (1962): 4.

1963: Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. New York, 1963 (reprinted 1964 in French, German, and Spanish): 102, repro., as by Memling.

1965: Summary Catalogue of European Paintings and Sculpture. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1965: 89, as by Memling.

1965: Thos. Agnew & Sons Ltd. The Heathcote Amory Collection. Exh. cat. The Fermoy Art Gallery, King's Lynn, 1965: 5.

1966: Cairns, Huntington, and John Walker, eds. A Pageant of Painting from the National Gallery of Art. 2 vols. New York, 1966: 1:80-81, color repro., as by Hans Memling.

1968: Gandolfo, Giampaolo et al. National Gallery of Art, Washington. Great Museums of the World. New York, 1968: 110, color repro.

1968: National Gallery of Art. European Paintings and Sculpture, Illustrations. Washington, 1968: 78, repro., as by Memling.

1969: Corti, Maria, and Giorgio T. Faggin. L'opera completa di Memling. Milan, 1969: 93, no. 17, repro.

1972: Davies, Martin. Rogier van der Weyden. London, 1972: 228.

1973: Finley, David Edward. A Standard of Excellence: Andrew W. Mellon Founds the National Gallery of Art at Washington. Washington, 1973: 86.

1975: Biermann, Alfons W. "Die Miniaturenhandschriften des Kardinals Albrecht von Brandenburg (1514-1545)." Aachener Kunstblätter 46 (1975): 63, 273.

1975: European Paintings: An Illustrated Summary Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1975: 232, repro., as by Memling.

1975: [Wells, William]. Treasures from the Burrell Collection. Exh. cat. Hayward Gallery, London, 1975: 13.

1977: Eisler, Colin. Paintings from the Samuel H. Kress Collection: European Schools Excluding Italian. Oxford, 1977: 57-60, figs. 52, 53, color repro.

1978: Deroubaix, Christiane. "Un triptych du Maître de la Légende de Saint Catherine (Pieter van der Weyden?) reconstitué." Bulletin de l'Institut royal du Patrimoine artistique 17 (1978/1979): 157-158, 160, 166-168.

1981: Hull, Vida Joyce. Hans Memlinc's Paintings for the Hospital of Saint John in Bruges. New York and London, 1981: 96, 131.

1981: Winter, Patrick M. de. "A Book of Hours of Queen Isabel la Católica." Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 67 (1981): 408, 427, fig. 95.

1982: Abrams, Richard I. and Warner A. Hutchinson. An Illustrated Life of Jesus, From the National Gallery of Art Collection. Nashville, 1982: 27, color repro.

1984: Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington. Rev. ed. Washington, 1984: 128, no. 117, color repro., as by Hans Memling.

1985: European Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1985: 255, repro.

1986: Hand, John Oliver and Martha Wolff. Early Netherlandish Painting. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, 1986: 155-161, repro. 157.