The Artist

Rogier van der Weyden was born in 1400 in the Netherlands. He began working for the master painter Robert Campin in 1427, causing his career to take off quite quickly. Less than a decade later, he became the Brussels City Painter, in 1435. Painting mostly religious themes, although a few portraits have been found as well. He was able to live quite well and was renowned for his art. Van der Weyden is an interesting painter because he never signed his work, making it very difficult for art historians to determine which are his paintings. He is known for clear compositions and bright colors, both leading to strong symbolism. Rogier van der Weyden died in 1464 in Brussels. He heavily influenced many later paintings, and his style was imitated for more than half a century after his death.

The Painting

The Vision of the Magi uses bright deliberate colors and literal interpretation of the bile verses to explain the biblical scene of the the magi seeing the vision about Christ Jesus’ birth. The magi are all on bended knee on a mountain, looking up and praising the star in the sky. Known as the Light of the World, putting Jesus in the star was a deliberate choice to strengthen this title. The magi are well dressed in reds and blues, the reds showing their high social status and place as part of the Royal Magistrate, according to the meaning of colors in the renaissance time, while the blue represents servitude and their willingness to drop everything and serve Jesus. The Jesus star has an orange hue, the color of peasants. This is fitting, for Jesus was born a poor child in a manger and lived no better than any other common person. The city in the background represents the Jerusalem and the where the magi go once they have seen the vision and start their journey to find the baby and pay him homage. The magi are in the forefront of the painting, far from the city. Immediately after having the vision, they make their way west to find the Jesus in the manger, and encounter King Harod on their way. Furthermore, looking closely at the magi can tell us how they are all slightly different. Each of the magi’s hair, or lack there of, is a different color, from bright white to deep brown and all seem to be boasting a unique texture, hinting that they are all from different places. The discrepancies in the Magi only strengthens the diversity of the Gentile followers of Jesus, reminding us that Jesus does not discriminate but all people as equal in God’s eyes.

It is also important to note that this painting does not stand alone but is a part of the Bladelin Triptych. Vision of the Magi is on the far right panel, while the left includes Emperor Agustus hearing of the birth, and the center panel the birth of Christ with Mary and Joseph kneeling before him. All three together make up the western, eastern, and Holy Land, demonstrating how Christ Jesus unites all the world. This piece was commissioned by Peter Bladlin, who can be seen in black kneeling with Mary and Joseph.

Bibliography

“Artist: Rogier Van Der Weyden.” Biography. Accessed December 2, 2016. http://www.artbible.info/art/biography/rogier-van-der-weyden.

“Bladelin Triptych.” Bladelin Triptych. Accessed December 6, 2016. http://www.artbible.info/art/topics/bladelin-triptych.

Researcher, Renaissance Clothing. “The Meaning of Renaissance and Medieval Clothing Colors.” The Meaning of Renaissance and Medieval Clothing Colors. February 8, 2011. Accessed December 6, 2016. http://renaissanceclothing.blogspot.com/2011/02/meaning-of-renaissance-and-medieval.html.

Van Der Weyden, Rogier. “The Vision of the Magi.” Digital image. ArtBible. Accessed December 2, 2016. http://www.artbible.info/art/large/812.html.

Eleanor Hastings is a part of the St. Olaf class of 2020, with an undecided major. This is the first religion class she has taken in a formal school setting, and found it very interesting and enlightening to look at the bible from different perspectives, especially from non-religious classmates.