Adoration of the Magi
(c1560)
Pieter Aertsen
(Amsterdam, 1508 - 1575)
Matthew 2:1-12
1508 - 1575
Amsterdam, Netherland
Pieter Aertsen, called Lange Pier ("Tall Pete") because of his height, was a Dutch painter in the style of Northern Mannerism. He is credited with the invention of the monumental genre scene, which combines still life and genre painting and often also includes a biblical scene in the background. He was active in his native city Amsterdam but also worked for a long period in Antwerp, then the centre of artistic life in the Netherlands.