The Adoration of the Kings 1998

Curator: Looking at this etching, the stark lines and muted tones give it a haunting quality, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Absolutely. It’s almost ghostly, with figures emerging from and dissolving back into the background. This is Leon Kossoff's "The Adoration of the Kings." Curator: Kossoff, born in 1926, frequently explored religious themes, often filtered through a modernist lens. This particular work, housed here at the Tate, captures a familiar scene, but with an unsettling immediacy. Editor: And there is this idea about the questioning of power. The "kings" seem vulnerable, less about their royal status and more about their shared humanity with the holy family. Curator: It also reflects Kossoff’s engagement with social issues and the human condition, presenting art to challenge the status quo. Editor: This piece prompts us to consider how these traditional narratives can be re-interpreted through a contemporary and relevant framework, reminding us that even ancient stories can speak to modern struggles. Curator: Well said; it’s a powerful demonstration of art's ability to bridge the historical and the contemporary.