* Cornelis van Poelenburch Utrecht (?) 1594/5 - 1667 Utrecht

Possibly Marin Delahaye, Paris;
His sale, Paris, 1754, no. 5 (as “Un tableau peint sur bois, par Corneille Polembourg, représentant L’Adoration des Mages, de 14 pouces de haut sur 11 pouces de large, dans sa bordure dorée [a painting painted on wood, by Cornelis Poelenburgh, depicting the Adoration of the Magi, of 14 pouces high by 11 pouces wide, in its gilt frame];
Possibly David Baille, London;
His sale, London, Christie's, May 25, 1839, lot 44, to Theobald.

We are grateful to Dr. Nicolette Sluijter who, based on first hand inspection, confirms the present painting to be by Poelenburch.  She also notes that there is a print after this composition by Jan Gerritsz. van Bronchorst.  The print copies the painting almost exactly except that it omits the couple peering out of the niche at upper left.

The elaborate silver chalice being offered to the Christ Child by one of the Magi in the present composition is similar to a silver cup produced by the Utrecht silversmith, Adam van Vianen, in 1614 (see A.M Janssens, Zeldzaam Zilver uit de Gouden Eeuw, Utrecht 1985, p. 75, cat. no. 61).