Aanbidding der koningen 1630 - 1677

Adriaen Lommelin created this engraving, “Adoration of the Kings,” sometime before his death in 1673. The scene depicts the three kings presenting gifts to the infant Jesus, a common subject in Christian art intended to showcase faith and piety. But notice how the composition is arranged, with the kings in elaborate costumes, drawing the viewer's attention toward wealth and status. Lommelin was working in Antwerp, then part of the Spanish Netherlands, a region deeply entrenched in religious and political conflict. Art served as a powerful tool for the Catholic Church and its wealthy patrons to reinforce traditional values and social hierarchies. The grandeur of the kings and the reverent atmosphere promote the idea of divine authority and the importance of earthly power. To understand this image more fully, one might consult period writings on religious doctrine, economic records of artistic patronage, and biographies of prominent figures in Antwerp society. These resources help us interpret how art functioned within specific institutional and social contexts.