Frans Franken III 16th Century Oil on Wood, Adoration of the Magi, Painting

The representation proposes a traditional iconography, in which the painter inserts some details that he lends himself to symbolic interpretations. Among these is the appearance of the Magi, who from the XIVth century differs iconographically: the wise astronomers represent the homage to Jesus of the then known parts of the world, namely Africa, Asia and Europe. To the right of the Magi, in the foreground, sits a monkey, considered a demonic creature and a symbol of lies and sin. It is depicted on the sidelines, as a defeat, next to a fragment of a classical column: ruin alludes to the end of paganism, of the old world that collapses with the advent of the new one, marked by the birth of Christ and liberation from the Original Sin. On the ruins he climbs the ivy, symbol of the immortality of the soul. The work is attributable to the workshop of the Flemish painter Frans Francken III, belonging to a prolific family of Antwerp painters who for four generations played a predominant role in local art. The comparison with a painting by Frans Francken III, preserved at the Museum of Fine Arts in Tournai, Belgium, is likely. In this work the same composition is represented, with some color variations and in which the artist describes, in the background, a glimpse of a Flemish city with houses, a bridge under which a river flows and some inhabitants. The blue sky is marked by a few clouds and some bare trees suggest the winter season.

Frans Francken III (Antwerp, 1607-1667) belongs to the Francken painter dynasty. Son of Frans Francken II and Elisabeth Placquet, he trained in his father’s workshop. In 1639-40 he joined the Corporation of San Luca and in 1656, in recognition of the fortune his works received, he became its dean. His ability to paint small figures means that he is often requested by other artists to animate compositions of landscapes or interiors with staffage figures.

Frans Francken III specializes in small paintings, painting subjects both sacred and profane.

His works, characterized by the vividness of the colors, vary in the narrative richness according to the request and taste of the clients and their economic possibilities. Often overworked, the help of workshop collaborators who skillfully imitate their style is used. He has several students, including Carstian Luyckx and Jan Baptist Segaert.

We apologize for the translation errors.
Please, contact us for the italian expertise