Manuscript Illumination with Adoration of the Magi

Master of James IV of Scotland (probably Gerard Horenbout)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In this page from a book of devotional prayers, the artist has superimposed an image of the Adoration in the unfolding story of the journey of the Magi to the stable in Bethlehem. In the background the Magi are depicted en route, while in the border below they appear before Herod. The painter of this miniature created manuscripts for European royalty, including James IV, king of Scotland, and Queen Isabella of Spain. He may be identified as Gerard Horenbout, who became a master in the painters’ guild of Ghent in 1487.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world. Displayed in both The Met Fifth Avenue and in the Museum's branch in northern Manhattan, The Met Cloisters, the collection encompasses the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the early sixteenth century. It also includes pre-medieval European works of art created during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.

Metropolitan Museum of Art