"Adoration of the Magi" by Otto van Ven - a 17th-century painting added to the collection of the Pushkin Museum

A painting by one of the greatest Flemish masters of the 17th century joined the collection of the Pushkin Museum. A. S.  Pushkin. The significance of “The Adoration of the Magi” for the museum collection is due to the high artistic quality of the work created by the main teacher and mentor of P. P. Rubens. In addition, this work, executed on wood, is distinguished by its relatively large dimensions, which van Ven rarely resorted to, preferring to paint paintings in a small (“cabinet”) format. Since February 20, “The Adoration of the Magi” by O. van Ven has been presented in the permanent exhibition of the museum.

Otto van Ven (Veen, 1556–1629) – painter, draftsman and book illustrator, one of the largest Flemish masters of the Mannerist era. Living in Antwerp and Brussels, he had a large workshop in which the brilliant P. P. Rubens studied from 1594 to 1598 and then worked as an assistant. Currently, Van Ven’s paintings and graphic works are in many major museums in Europe and the USA, but his work is most fully represented in museums and churches in Antwerp and Brussels.

Until 1572, van Ven studied in the workshop of J. C. van Swanenburg in Leiden, then worked in Aachen and Antwerp. He continued his artistic education in Liege, in the workshops of D. Lampsonius and J. de Ramey. From 1575 to 1583 he lived in Rome, where he was strongly influenced by the works of F. Zuccaro, L. Cigoli and masters of their circle. In 1584–1585 he lived in Cologne and Munich, fulfilling orders from Ernst of Bavaria. Upon returning to Flanders in 1585, he worked as the court painter of Alessandro Farnese in Brussels. After the death of his patron in 1592, he moved to Antwerp, where he married and became master of the local guild of St. Luke, and from 1602 to 1603 he served as its dean. In 1599, the artist took part in decorating the streets and squares of Antwerp on the occasion of the ceremonial entry into the city of Archduke Albert and his wife Isabella, the new rulers of the Southern Netherlands. From 1612 he worked in Brussels as a court master of the Archducal couple, and from 1620 he was a master of the Brussels guild of artists.

An analysis of the painting style, techniques of plastic modeling, color scheme and features of the interpretation of faces and figures in the painting “The Adoration of the Magi” convincingly proves that it belongs to the brush of van Wen. The work is of a high level of artistic quality and was created by the renowned master during the Antwerp period of his work, around 1600. At this time, the artist enjoyed wide fame, fulfilling numerous orders from local monasteries, temples and crafts guilds. The format of the work suggests that it was commissioned by a private individual for a home chapel.

Today, “The Adoration of the Magi” can be seen in the main building of the Pushkin Museum, in room 10. After the completion of a phased re-exposition of several halls of the building, which will take place during 2024, the painting will take its rightful place next to the works of Rubens, an outstanding student of van Ven.