The Adoration of the Magi

The scene of The Adoration of the Magi takes place in a nocturnal setting, illuminated by torches held by servants. The composition of the painting was inspired by an engraving by the Antwerp graphic artist Nicolaes Lauwers (1600–1652), created around 1621 after a painting by Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640). Rubens had painted the original work for the Capuchin Church in Tournai (now housed in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium).

The presented work, originating from the now-destroyed Church of St. Gertrude in Szczecin, largely follows the compositional scheme of the graphic prototype, although differences can be seen in secondary elements. In the Flemish engraver’s work, a group of men crowded on the stairs, restrained by a soldier with a Roman shield, watch the extraordinary event with interest. In the Szczecin painting, however, the artist replaced these figures with individuals featuring distinct facial features, who no longer look at the central characters of the event but directly toward the viewer. In this way, a group portrait of the painting's patrons was subtly incorporated into the biblical scene.

The painting is attributed by researchers to Heinrich Redtel (1610 – after 1680), a painter from Szczecin. Both his grandfather, David Redtel (1543–1591), who came to Pomerania from Saxony, and his father, Martin Redtel (1578–1616), were renowned painters associated with the court of the House of Griffin. Heinrich was known for his religious works and portraits, often combining both genres in pieces like The Adoration of the Magi. The inclusion of the patrons in a religious scene was also employed by the artist in his painting Christ Before Pilate (1663), based on a composition by Rembrandt (1606–1669), which remains preserved in the main altar of the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Stargard. Archival records also indicate that the now-lost Church of St. Nicholas in Szczecin housed a monumental depiction of The Last Judgment featuring portraits of senior members of the merchant guild.

Monika Frankowska-Makała