In the Gospel of Matthew, three Magi (kings or wise men) follow a star to the birthplace of Jesus, whom they are the first to call “King of the Jews.” In Bartolomeo di Giovanni’s imagining, one magus kneels before Christ, laying his crown at the baby’s feet. Touches of gold pick out the visitors’ finery and the sunlit landscape witness to this miracle. The scene is rich in religious emblems (ruins, an ox, a donkey) found in other representations of the subject. Less commonplace is the foreground still life: a humble saddle and walking stick, reminders, perhaps, of the Holy Family’s journey to Bethlehem.