The Adoration of the Magi 1630 - 1653

Pieter Nolpe made this engraving, "The Adoration of the Magi", at some point in the 17th century. Nolpe probably worked in the Dutch Republic, a society that had recently thrown off the yoke of Spanish rule. The "Adoration of the Magi" shows a Bible story, but it's also an assertion of cultural values. The presentation of the three kings as wealthy and regal figures, with servants and exotic turbans, tells us something about Dutch society's relationship to global trade and its own self-image as a center of wealth and civility. It presents the Netherlands as a place where different cultures can come together in harmony under the banner of Christianity. To understand the image fully, we have to research the history of Dutch printmaking, the history of Dutch trade with the East, and the changing interpretations of the Bible in the post-Reformation era. Once we have a better grasp of the context in which it was created, this image can tell us a lot about the culture of the Dutch Republic.