
Read the visual description
The image shows a group of individuals in an interior setting, with their bodies mostly visible from the waist up. The people are predominantly bent or crouching towards a raised seat or chair, which appears central and prominent in the composition. Most individuals are bald or have receding hairlines, with some wearing wigs typical of the 18th-century style, featuring curls or powdered hair. Many appear elderly with prominent facial lines. They are dressed in ornate clothing that suggests formality or high status, including suits adorned with sashes and medals. Several carry swords at their sides. Around them is a crowded room with numerous people, and the background is filled with a mix of sketchy outlines of additional figures, lending a sense of depth to the scene. No visible jewelry catches the eye, and objects held by them are limited to the swords. The scene, rendered in a soft pencil or lithographic style, exudes a historic and formal ambiance.
National Gallery of Art · Print
Adoration des Mages
French 19th Century
- Date
- 1831
- Medium
- lithograph
- Dimensions
- overall: 25.4 x 33.3 cm (10 x 13 1/8 in.)
- Classification
- Accession number
- 2002.57.18
- Credit line
- Gift of Frank Anderson Trapp
- Time span
- 1776 to 1800
- Department
- CG-E
Portfolio and series
- Series
- La Caricature
Subjects and terms
- French
- group
- figure
- Chair
- Weapons
- Man
Provenance
Frank Anderson Trapp [1922-2005], Amherst, MA; gift to NGA, 2002.
NGA object ID 111440. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.