The Rise of Humanism and the Dark Magi

The Adoration of the Magi,1510, by Hieronymus Bosch.

Photograph: DEA/G Dagli Orti/De Agostini/Getty Image

Balthasar in detail from The Epiphany

A Renaissance Review of the Dark Magi

Looking at the history of the many depictions of The Adoration of the Magi, from the Nativity story. We can put the puzzle pieces of the past together. I chose The Adoration of the Magi, by Hieronymus Bosch after searching further for the full view. I found a link to The Epiphany by Bosch from around 1500 BC. It has been in the Museo del Prado, Madrid since 1839. The story depicted has a Netherlandish backdrop of what farmland looked like in their present time. Only this painting has a more realistic model of what the King from Africa may have looked like centuries ago. This triptych alter piece was commissioned by a wealthy middle-class in the late 1400s. When the shutters are closed you can see a grisaille carved in shades of gray and pops of black robes and red hats. The grisaille depicts St. Gregory kneeling at the altar in front of the crucifix and angels dancing above. These oil painting panels give a deeper story to the story of Christ, giving true tribute to the Dark Magi. Adding color to the whitewashed depiction of the past.

The Renaissance Era brought the world out of the Dark Ages and onto the path of enlightenment with the rediscovery of classical literature and art. Humanism sprouted and trading was booming creating wealth and allowing exploration in the arts and science. Humanism began in Florence Italy, and traveled to Europe. With the rise of interest in ancient Roman and Greek scholarly pursuits, humanism was born with the belief in the dignity and worth of an individual. Arabic scholars preserved Greek knowledge leading to more opportunities for trade during the pursuit of reviving ancient knowledge that was preserved from the Middle Ages. Having a humanist perspective allowed one to think with a non-religious viewpoint and help develop the Reformation from the church and grow throughout the centuries with scientific revolutions and enlightenment.

During this revival of the arts, we begin to see the darkening of the third king in The Adorations of the Magi. I found a few good reads during my research on how reformation and humanism had an impact on the darkening of the magi from Africa. The Legacy of a Black King Who Visited Baby Jesus gives a perspective and representation of King Balthazar from the 5th century to the 15th century art reflects how the enslavement of Black Africans escalated in Europe during the Middle Ages. Another good perspective is The Blackening of Balthazar Epiphany and Race in the European Middle Ages. Using pictures from the past we are able to paint a better understanding as we piece together history in this current digital era. 

During the Renaissance painters began to portray the true color of the third magi. The paintings of the Adoration of the Magi by different painters reflect the changes in perspective. The Nativity story spread orally and northern Europe had not yet seen darker-skinned people till around the Middle Ages. It wasn't until around 500AD that the names of the wise men surfaced, from a Greek manuscript. Balthasar, Casper, and Melchior. As well as a text from a historian monk named Bede from northeast Europe who depicts Balthasar with dark skin color. Saint Bede The Venerable was considered a scholar of antiquities in the kingdom of Northumbria during the Middle Ages. 

We also have to take into consideration the influences of religion and politics as well as wealthy influencers who wanted recognition in the artworks they were commissioning. Families like the Medici were wealthy merchants and some were popes in the Roman Catholic church. 

Humanism began during the Italian Renaissance and spread to the North and continues to grow today. As a believer, I would love to have something like this on my home altar. There is an account in 1605 that this altarpiece was located in a monastery in Spain. I believe it belongs in the Museo in Madrid where it can continue to be preserved as a piece of world history. 

 

Works Cited

Saint Bede the Venerable. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bede# 

The Blackening of Balthazar Epiphany and Race in the European Middle Ages. Dontay M. Givens. https://comment.org/the-blackening-of-balthazar/ January 5, 2023

Head Study for Balthazar https://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/balthazar/

How Enslavement Evolved the Legacy of Black King Who Visited Baby Jesus

The story of King Balthazar. https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/how-enslavement-evolved-the-legacy-of-black-king-who-visited-baby-jesus-4f7a7f57c1b5 Kamna Kirti. October 10, 2020

Heinrich Bünting’s Map of Africa from Travel through Sacred Scripture, Magdeburg, Germany, 1597 (Courtesy of Dr. Oscar I. Norwich Collection of Maps of Africa and its Islands, 1486 – ca. 1865, David Rumsey Map Center, Stanford Libraries). https://smarthistory.org/images-african-kingship/

Northumbria. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northumbria

Myrrh mystery: how did Balthasar, one of the three kings, become black? Jonathan Jones

Mon 21 Dec 2020 06.48 EST. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/dec/21/christmas-cards-star-baby-jesus-myrrh-mystery-balthasar-three-kings-black-art