Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an unspecified painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Pieter Aertsen. It dates from 1562 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
The panels were originally arranged together, each focusing on a single king, an uncommon compositional choice for Nativity scenes.
This work consists of two surviving panels from a mid‑16th‑century triptych by Pieter Aertsen (1509‑1575). The central panel and a narrow side panel each portray a different Magus kneeling before the infant Christ, while the third panel, showing the youngest king, remains lost. The panels were originally arranged together, each focusing on a single king, an uncommon compositional choice for Nativity scenes.
Subject & Meaning
Each panel isolates one of the three Magi, presenting him as a distinct figure rather than part of a collective adoration. The surviving side panel depicts the black king in sumptuous red garments, offering a gold‑capped box, with a servant in a turban and a horse positioned behind him, emphasizing his royal status and the exoticism associated with his character.
Technique & Style
Aertsen employs a detailed, naturalistic style typical of Northern Renaissance painting, rendering fabrics, jewelry, and animal textures with precise brushwork. The composition is vertically elongated, allowing a clear view of the kneeling figure and the attendant, while the use of rich colours and chiaroscuro highlights the ceremonial atmosphere.
History & Provenance
The side panel entered the Rijksmuseum collection in 1900 as a donation from Jonkheer J.P. Six, having previously been displayed in Delft’s City Hall until 1860. The central panel was acquired after World War II, on loan from the P. & N. de Boer Stichting, Amsterdam, where it had been held by the Deutzenhofje. The third panel has never been recovered.
Context
Aertsen’s triptych reflects a period in which Dutch artists began to experiment with narrative fragmentation, assigning each Magus his own visual space. This approach contrasts with the more conventional integrated Nativity scenes common in earlier Flemish and Dutch altarpieces.
Artist & collection
Artist
Pieter Aertsen (1508 in Amsterdam – 2 June 1575 in Amsterdam), called Lange Piet ("Tall Pete") because of his height, was a Dutch painter in the style of Northern Mannerism.
