Adoration of the Magi by Rubens

It was made by Rubens (Germanic painter, he was  born in 1577 and he died in 1640) painted in 1609 and designed to inaugurate and celebrate the Twelve Years' Truce, also the painting was commisioned by Matthias Yrsselius. The painting describes the scene in which Christ is visited by the Magi, that ofered him three different gifts (gold, incense and myrrh).

 The painting method of Rubens in this painting were:
- The revelation of the author's technique (especially in the details of the painting).
To do this, Rubens use some methods like painting with a brush stained with pigments to represent the highlights in some specific points of the painting (around the eyes and in the hair).
- The reinforcement in some aspects of the painting.
To reinforce the things that he considered more important he used the end of the brush, making marks in the wet paint because he wanted to include the sensation of movement.

Rubens was outstanding in portraits, landscapes, histories and religious pictures because of the energy he imposed.
He was considered the most respected painter in his era in Europe because he could transmit the exact idea he wanted to say in his paintings. The method that he used to transmit his ideas are the myths that summaries the knowledge of the ancient peoples about the behaviour and the emotions of the human beings.

Source: http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Paul_Rubens

Features of the painting:
- It is an oil painting.
- The use of warm colours to stand out some important points in the painting.
- It describes a dialogue by the painter with himself.
- The colour predominates in the painting, and it enters the ruins of an ancient scene.
- There are some important details, like the presentation of Christ made by Mary to the Magi.
- The inclusion of many people in the photo apart Christ, Mary and the Magi (servants, soldiers, horses and two angels at the top).
- The huge predominance of colour over drawing, as we can appreciate, because there isn't any aspect or point in the painting that is draw, all is painted.
- The lapse of concentration in the center on the painting and the attention in Mary and Christ.
- The appearance of a symbolic meaning in the painting (ancient column).
- This ancient column refers to the desvatate palace of David.
Rubens didn't paint on purpose, this has a biblical sense, because in the Bible is written that the column is a symbol which means that the Messiah was born.

Source: http://imgarcade.com/1/adoration-of-the-magi-rubens-1609/

Information sources: 

http://www.kmska.be/en/collectie/highlights/Aanbidding_koningen.html

http://www.wallacecollection.org/whatson/treasure/22

https://www.museodelprado.es/en