The adoration of the Kings 1650

Abraham van Diepenbeeck rendered this drawing, the Adoration of the Kings, with pen in brown ink and gray wash in the seventeenth century. The procession, with its grand horses and exotic camels, carries potent symbols of power and reverence. Consider the horse, a recurring motif throughout art history. It appears in ancient Roman equestrian statues, emblems of imperial authority and military might. Here, its presence alongside the kings elevates them, suggesting not just earthly power but also divine favor, especially when juxtaposed with the camels, which represent the exotic and foreign lands they traversed to reach the Christ Child. This drawing is not just an illustration of a biblical scene; it is a visual echo, resonating with cultural memories and primal emotions. Like the serpent, the horse has slithered through time, changing skins but always carrying a visceral charge that grabs our subconscious. The cyclical nature of these symbols reminds us that history is never truly linear, but a constant return and reinterpretation.