Adoration of the Magi, Attributed to Francesco BassanoA sudden, intuitive understanding or perception of reality through the perceived meaning of something, is called an epiphany and is often associated with the appearance of a divine being. In Western Christianity, the revelation of God's son, the infant Jesus Christ, to the Magi, known as the Three Kings or the Three Wise Men, who came from the east bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, is considered The Epiphany and is still celebrated by many branches of Christianity on the last of the Twelve Days of Christmas, January 6, as The Feast of Epiphany or Three Kings Day. The event and circumstances surrounding being born is called one's nativity and for Christians, representations of Christ's birth through creche sets and paintings, simply called Nativity, have, since the 4th century, been memorialized in art more than any other birth in history. Throughout the Renaissance (14th-17th century), many studios specialized in Nativity scenes and produced large volumes of images of the Holy Family, The Birth of Jesus, and the Adoration of the Magi. This included the family studio of Jacopo Bassano (1510-1592), a successful painter who studied under his father, Francisco Bassano the Elder (1475-1530), before working with his four sons to produce religious scenes near Venice. This oil on canvas painting, The Adoration of the Magi, was a common theme for the family and is attributed with a nameplate to his son, Francesco Bassano the Younger (1549-1592), also a very skilled artist. Use of brilliant colors, a short stocky Magi and a very large Virgin are characteristic of his work which was probably done towards the end of his life. Framed oil on canvas, Madonna and Child Visited by the Three Kings, attributed to Francesco Bassano (Italian, 1549-1592), bears nameplate beneath painting, Provenance: From the collection of Cecilia and Henry Hopkins, Hillsborough, CA. c.1590 -1592. sight 29 x 26 inches