Bible in art · Matthew

The Adoration of the Magi

Dürer · c. 1501–1503
The Cleveland Museum of Art

Dürer made the woodcuts of the Life of the Virgin in Nuremberg around 1501–05 and sold them as single sheets; in 1511 he published the series as a book.

Mary sits with the child on the steps of a ruined building, Joseph standing behind her. The oldest king kneels before them, a second offers a tall gold vessel, and the youngest waits with his gift; armed attendants and a horse fill the left side.

From the text

The star they had seen stops over the place where the child was (Matthew 2:9)
They “fell down and worshiped Him” and brought gifts (Matthew 2:11)

The artist’s own

Three kings — the text gives no number and does not call them kings; that is tradition
The youngest king shown as an African, a custom of painters of the time
A stable with an ox among ruins instead of the “house” of Matthew 2:11

Details

Mary and the child

The child reaches towards the kneeling king; Joseph stands behind.

The oldest king

He kneels, bare-headed, his hands joined.

The star

A star with long rays in the corner of the sky.

The ox

An ox looks out from the stall.

Albrecht Dürer, German, 1471–1528. The Cleveland Museum of Art (Dudley P. Allen Fund, 1959.99.12) · Woodcut · Cleveland Museum of Art Open Access: Collection API record "share_license_status": "CC0" (Creative Commons Zero, https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/).

The verses

Matt 2:1–12After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of My people Israel.’” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and learned from them the exact time the star had appeared. And sending them to Bethlehem, he said: “Go and search carefully for the Child, and when you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with great delight. On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they withdrew to their country by another route.

See it at the museum’s site