The Adoration of the Kings
Dublin Core
Title
The Adoration of the Kings
Description
Paolo Veronese was commissioned to paint The Adoration of the Kings by the Church of Saint Silvestro in Venice because the church wanted a painting for the nave of the building [1]. Born in 1528 to a family of stonecutters in Verona, Paolo made a name for himself as a revolutionary mannerist painter. As Nicholas Penny analyzes, Veronese's style drew from Raphael's techniques with an added aspect of looseness and fluidity [2]. He was comissioned by various churches and government departments in Venice as he was a popular painter there at the time [3]. During the time Veronese worked on The Adoration of the Kings, his workshop was also comissioned by another church, Santa Corona in Vicenza, to create a painting depicting the same biblical story, which can be seen in the striking similarities of both paintings [1].
The Adoration of the Kings was created by Veronese with the purpose of narrating a biblical story for the audience, the members of the church, to see when looking toward the nave of the building. He was commissioned to depict the biblical story of the three kings visiting baby Christ after his birth in the stable. The Virgin Mary sits on a throne off center holding the child as the men, including the kings, are on their knees, representing their praise and devotion to her and the newborn. Alluding to the birth of Christ in a farm stable, Veronese details cattle, goats, and horses, making the viewer feel as if they are in the scene, witnessing the miracle of Christ. He combines the run down stable architecture with the classical arches and columns from Greek and Roman building styles in the background. In addition, Veronese paints cherubs up above, looking down in awe of the newborn child, as a way to connect the heavenly realm to this scene on Earth.
Veronese utilizes light to signify the key roles of Mary and Christ. This can be seen with the beam of light hitting only the Virgin, illuminating her and the child in the painting. They are the source of brightness, representing their importance in the scene. The rest of the painting is dark, illustrating the dichotomy between the holy and bright Virgin and Christ compared to the other humans. Veronese uses lines to shape the painting and highlight important aspects of the scene. He creates a straight diagonal line of light to draw the viewer's attention to Mary and Christ as it beams down on them. In addition, Veronese utilizes rich colors when depicting the clothing of the kings, emphasizing their position and importance in this religious scene. This can be seen with rich yellow and red fabrics that Veronese paints for the kings' robes. Specifically, he paints the fabrics with great detail, indicating the folding and patterns of the clothes. The use of these rich colors and precision with the small details draws the viewer's attention to the kings as well, demonstrating their key role in the story. He also composes the painting with a combination of free and compact space, as the ground is filled with people and animals looking and adoring the newborn child, conveying the biblical story. Meanwhile, Veronese incorperates free space in the upper half of the painting in order to focus more on the architectural and scenic background than on the characters and story.
[1] “Paolo Veronese: The Adoration of the Kings: NG268: National Gallery, London,” The National Gallery, accessed September 29, 2020, https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/paolo-veronese-the-adoration-of-the-kings.
[2] Nicholas Penny, "Composition, Gesture and Meaning in an Early Painting by Veronese," Artibus Et Historiae 35, no. 70 (2014): 211-212.
[3] Barry Jones, "V," Dictionary of World Biography, 894.
The Adoration of the Kings was created by Veronese with the purpose of narrating a biblical story for the audience, the members of the church, to see when looking toward the nave of the building. He was commissioned to depict the biblical story of the three kings visiting baby Christ after his birth in the stable. The Virgin Mary sits on a throne off center holding the child as the men, including the kings, are on their knees, representing their praise and devotion to her and the newborn. Alluding to the birth of Christ in a farm stable, Veronese details cattle, goats, and horses, making the viewer feel as if they are in the scene, witnessing the miracle of Christ. He combines the run down stable architecture with the classical arches and columns from Greek and Roman building styles in the background. In addition, Veronese paints cherubs up above, looking down in awe of the newborn child, as a way to connect the heavenly realm to this scene on Earth.
Veronese utilizes light to signify the key roles of Mary and Christ. This can be seen with the beam of light hitting only the Virgin, illuminating her and the child in the painting. They are the source of brightness, representing their importance in the scene. The rest of the painting is dark, illustrating the dichotomy between the holy and bright Virgin and Christ compared to the other humans. Veronese uses lines to shape the painting and highlight important aspects of the scene. He creates a straight diagonal line of light to draw the viewer's attention to Mary and Christ as it beams down on them. In addition, Veronese utilizes rich colors when depicting the clothing of the kings, emphasizing their position and importance in this religious scene. This can be seen with rich yellow and red fabrics that Veronese paints for the kings' robes. Specifically, he paints the fabrics with great detail, indicating the folding and patterns of the clothes. The use of these rich colors and precision with the small details draws the viewer's attention to the kings as well, demonstrating their key role in the story. He also composes the painting with a combination of free and compact space, as the ground is filled with people and animals looking and adoring the newborn child, conveying the biblical story. Meanwhile, Veronese incorperates free space in the upper half of the painting in order to focus more on the architectural and scenic background than on the characters and story.
[1] “Paolo Veronese: The Adoration of the Kings: NG268: National Gallery, London,” The National Gallery, accessed September 29, 2020, https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/paolo-veronese-the-adoration-of-the-kings.
[2] Nicholas Penny, "Composition, Gesture and Meaning in an Early Painting by Veronese," Artibus Et Historiae 35, no. 70 (2014): 211-212.
[3] Barry Jones, "V," Dictionary of World Biography, 894.
Creator
Paolo Veronese (1528-1588)
Source
Brooke, Irene. “Veronese.” Renaissance Studies 30, no. 3 (2015): 457–68.
Jones, Barry. "V." In Dictionary of World Biography, 887-902. Acton ACT, Australia: ANU Press, 2019.
“Paolo Veronese.” The National Gallery. Accessed September 29, 2020. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/paolo-veronese.
“Paolo Veronese: The Adoration of the Kings: NG268: National Gallery, London.” The National Gallery. Accessed September 29, 2020. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/paolo-veronese-the-adoration-of-the-kings.
Penny, Nicholas. "Composition, Gesture and Meaning in an Early Painting by Veronese." Artibus Et Historiae 35, no. 70 (2014): 211-19.
Tuohy, Thomas. "Works by Paolo Veronese in British Collections." The British Art Journal 14, no. 3 (2013): 3-8.
Image Source: Veronese, Paolo. The Adoration of the Kings. The National Gallery. Accessed September 29, 2020. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/paolo-veronese-the-adoration-of-the-kings.
Publisher
Church of Saint Silvestro
Image Source: Veronese, Paolo. The Adoration of the Kings. The National Gallery. Accessed September 29, 2020. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/paolo-veronese-the-adoration-of-the-kings
Image Source: Veronese, Paolo. The Adoration of the Kings. The National Gallery. Accessed September 29, 2020. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/paolo-veronese-the-adoration-of-the-kings
Date
1573
Contributor
Carmel Falek
Rights
Public Domain. Image Source: Veronese, Paolo. The Adoration of the Kings. The National Gallery. Accessed September 29, 2020. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/paolo-veronese-the-adoration-of-the-kings
Format
Oil on canvas, 355.6 x 320.0 cm
Type
Painting
Coverage
The National Gallery, London, United Kingdom
Files
Citation
Paolo Veronese (1528-1588), “The Adoration of the Kings,” ARTHIST 89S - Visual Culture of Venice - Fall 2020, accessed October 22, 2026, https://venice.dahvc.org/fall-2020/items/show/67.