The Adoration of the Magi

12th century
Fresco
South transept, Old Cathedral, Salamanca, Spain

This image juxtaposes the motif of the Magi's travels under the guidance of the star with that of their adoration of the Christ Child. On the left, the youngest mage points to the star, which is seen only in the right panel. The three are pictured as kings: the two on the left are crowned, and the kneeling king on the right has placed his crown on the ground before the child, who blesses him with a gesture of his right hand.

Following a long tradition, the child is pictured not as the baby one would expect from Matthew 2:1 but as a boy well past infancy. His mother wears a crown over her palla, an innovation of this century.

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Photographed at the cathedral by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.