The Magi Journeying (Les rois mages en voyage)
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
Complementing the narrative of the venerations by the humble shepherds, the Magi, guided by a moving star, traveled separately from their individual lands in the east in search of the newborn Jesus. Tissot depicts the Magi at the moment when their retinues meet in the vast, arid landscape of the volcanic hills on the shores of the Dead Sea between Jericho, the Kedron Valley, and Jerusalem. In his commentary, the artist notes that their flowing saffron robes—a luxurious counterpoint to the simple woolens of the shepherds— signal their status as astronomers.
Typically described as wise men and kings, the Magi present the Christ Child with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. In the series of watercolors, the Magi’s visit to the grotto inexplicably appears after the presentation in the Temple, representing one of the curious inconsistencies in Tissot’s construction of his Gospel harmony.
Caption
James Tissot Nantes, France, 1836–1902, Chenecey–Buillon, France. The Magi Journeying (Les rois mages en voyage), 1886–1894. Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper, Image: 7 15/16 x 11 1/2 in. (20.2 x 29.2 cm) Sheet: 7 15/16 x 11 1/2 in. (20.2 x 29.2 cm) Frame: 15 x 20 x 1 1/2 in. (38.1 x 50.8 x 3.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchased by public subscription, 00.159.30. No known copyright restrictions (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 00.159.30_PS1.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Artist
Title
The Magi Journeying (Les rois mages en voyage)
Date
1886–1894
Geography
Place made: France
Medium
Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper
Classification
Dimensions
Image: 7 15/16 x 11 1/2 in. (20.2 x 29.2 cm) Sheet: 7 15/16 x 11 1/2 in. (20.2 x 29.2 cm) Frame: 15 x 20 x 1 1/2 in. (38.1 x 50.8 x 3.8 cm)
Signatures
Signed bottom right: "J.J. Tissot"
Credit Line
Purchased by public subscription
Accession Number
00.159.30
Rights
No known copyright restrictions
This work may be in the public domain in the United States. Works created by United States and non-United States nationals published prior to 1923 are in the public domain, subject to the terms of any applicable treaty or agreement. You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this work. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). The Museum does not warrant that the use of this work will not infringe on the rights of third parties, such as artists or artists' heirs holding the rights to the work. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions before copying, transmitting, or making other use of protected items beyond that allowed by "fair use," as such term is understood under the United States Copyright Act. The Brooklyn Museum makes no representations or warranties with respect to the application or terms of any international agreement governing copyright protection in the United States for works created by foreign nationals. For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Have information?
Have information about an artwork? Contact us at