Adoration of the Magi 1831

Editor: This is Auguste Raffet’s "Adoration of the Magi," and it's part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. It's a striking image, but far from the serene nativity scenes I'm used to. What is Raffet trying to express here? Curator: Well, darling, doesn’t it strike you as a bit of a theatrical production? Everyone is watching, faces contorted into expressions that seem almost…comical? Think of Raffet as a witty observer, poking fun at the pomp and circumstance of the powerful. Perhaps he’s suggesting their reverence is more performative than genuine. Editor: So, it's less about religious devotion and more about social commentary? Curator: Precisely! It tickles my fancy to think of Raffet, with a twinkle in his eye, capturing not the miracle itself, but the human comedy surrounding it. Editor: That definitely gives me a new perspective on the work! Curator: Doesn’t it just change everything when you look beyond the obvious?