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How Balthazar, One of the Three Kings, Who Visited Baby Jesus Became Black?

Unraveling the skin color mystery of the Magi

By Kamna KirtiPublished 2 years ago 3 min read
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The Adoration of the Magi by Hieronymus Bosch. Balthazar - the Black king donned in a white robe. Source-Public Domain

"We Three Kings of Orient are,

 Bearing gifts we traverse afar,

 Field and fountain,

 Moor and mountain,

 Following yonder Star."

(Chorus)

"O Star of Wonder, Star of Night,

 Star with Royal Beauty bright,

 Westward leading,

 Still proceeding,

 Guide us to Thy perfect Light."

Remember this Christmas carol We Three Kings?

As I write, I vividly picture the scene, some 20 years ago- a cold dewy morning and annual Christmas celebration in my school. The stage was all set with the Christmas Nativity scene - Baby Jesus, Mother Mary, Joseph, shepherds, and the three kings.

I was playing the role of one of the kings. Which one? Honestly, I don't remember. But my best bet would be Melchior as I donned a blue embroidered gown. Each king made an entry on the stage when their name was called out in We Three Kings ( Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar) carol. They knelt down, placed a gift near the feet of baby Jesus, and sit near Mary.

I might not have understood the song then but now it makes complete sense to me - "The Adoration of the Magi."

It is a biblical Nativity scene where The Three Kings often referred to as The Wise Men, visited baby Jesus, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, each having a spiritual meaning.

Gold as the symbol of kingship of earth, frankincense as an incense to the deity, and myrrh is an embalming oil as a symbol of death.

An Ottonian painting, circa the 11th century. All three kings are portrayed alike. Source- Getty Images

In the early and middle ages, artists portrayed all three kings alike - similar looks and facial features. Ethnically, we could not distinguish them.

But as we progressed towards the Renaissance, there was a seismic shift in the iconography of Balthazar. Artists started depicting him as black in color. Why?

Let's unravel the mystery of Magi: "Balthazar- the black king."

Depictions of Magi by various Renaissance artists

The scene of homage became one of the favorite subjects for artists - Botticelli, da Vinci, Rubens, and many others. Artists in 15th and 16th century Europe essentially invented the image of Balthazar.

Albrecht Dürer's Adoration of the Magi. Balthazar, a young back man with short hair and red leggings. Source-Public Domain

In Albrecht Dürer's Adoration of the Magi, a young black man with short hair and red leggings stands holding a golden goblet full of myrrh.

Bosch's Balthazar reflected the strong aura of his artistic style - unconventional and vivid.

The mysterious antichrist crowds swarm near the stable. Balthazar's complexion is black and he dons a white robe, full of ornate leafy details. It could be one of the ivory artworks Portuguese ships brought from west Africa. Bosch's Balthasar, you could almost say, is wearing African art.

All the kings in Botticelli's famous 1475 adoration are white. Source-Public Domain

What's really intriguing is that the depictions of a black Balthazar were to bring realism to art. They were neither obligatory nor universal in Renaissance art. For example, in Botticelli's adoration, the black magus is whitewashed and all kings are shown white. That's because this painting was contracted by the Medici family who liked to identify themselves with these wise monarchs.

Balthazar - The Black King

As the Europeans made their entry towards the African coast for trading and slaving, they encountered the African race literally for the first time. What they saw, they translated into their art to make it realistic, Balthazar's color began to be emphatically depicted.

Ironically, the pictorial representation of Balthazar seems to be one of the few "rich" portrayals of black people in European art.

The Adoration of the Magi (Three Wise Men) is one of those paintings that has been reproduced widely into postcards, Christmas greetings sent around the world, with few people aware of how Balthazar's representation was re-explored over time.

References-

1. Myrrh mystery: how did Balthasar, one of the three kings, become black?

2. THE LEGEND OF THE THREE KINGS

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About the Creator

Kamna Kirti

Art enthusiast. I engage with art at a deep level. I also share insights about entrepreneurship, founders & nascent technologies.

https://linktr.ee/kamnakirti

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