The Adoration of the Magi

The monumental masterpiece, ‘The Adoration of the Magi,’ was painted by Spanish Baroque painter Pedro Núñez del Valle. The artwork is an important testimony to the complex artistry of the creative process that occurred between Spain and Italy during the first half of the 17th century, and particularly the spread of Caravaggism to the court of Madrid. The traditional biblical story of the Epiphany has been transformed into a theatrical, dramatized play by Núñez del Valle. The baby Jesus is on Mary’s lap, guarded by Saint Joseph. The 3 Magi, Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar, are represented each with their own special attributes and robes, which indicate their exotic and royal origins. In the background, there is a presence of a camel or dromedary, which represents the story’s Eastern location. On the upper canvas, a pair of children’s angels are singing with open books of sheet music (partitur) in their hands. The Baroque synthesis of the visual and the musical arts is common, and the use of specific musical imagery is one such example. It is, therefore, a way of making the divine nature of the event implicit and praising the heavens. In style, it has the typical characteristics of the later Núñez del Valle's work. He studied in Rome and was admitted to the Academy of Saint Luke from 1613 to 1614, which greatly influenced his style. The vivid contrast of light and dark and the clear modelling of the figures are obvious signs of the naturalistic quality of this, a style which is typical of the Caravaggesque. This tenebrism is balanced, however, by a classical use of color and a sensitive use of the textures of sumptuous fabrics, typical of the classicism of Bologna and the royal tastes of the court of Madrid, under the influence of Vicente Carducho. There is a rich history of Spanish ownership of this painting. It went through the hands of José Bardolet, from Barcelona (1971), and Andrés Colomer Munmany (1971-1992). This was an exception, since it was incorporated into the Museo del Prado in 1992, by donation of Manuel Villaescusa. Studies by the technical studies team of the Prado have provided significant information concerning Núñez del Valle’s material process. Analysis of the canvas preparation has shed new light on the use of typical 17th-century canvas preparation techniques in Madrid and has proved that the ground layers are rich in clay, which has affected the ageing of the pigments over the centuries.