本畫典故出自聖經〈馬太福音，2,1-12〉，東方三位賢士因觀看星相得知猶太人的未來君王即將誔生，因此他們跟隨伯利恆之星的引領，前往朝拜。聖經中並未提及賢士的人數，但教會先師根據文中所提及的三種禮物推測其人數有三，而禮物黃金、乳香與沒藥分別代表了聖嬰耶穌的君王地位、創世神的身分與拯救者的角色。三位賢士自中古早期被認為象徵著人生三個階段（老、中、青）；而後摻雜黑人形象的三賢士則象徵歐、亞、非三大洲，意味當時認知中的全世界皆來朝拜聖嬰。

本畫前景中軸處的瑪利亞望著懷中正伸出右手狀似予以祝福的聖嬰，其前方跪著的老者分別舉著黃金容器獻禮，或捧吻聖嬰的腳，脫下的冠帽與靜置一旁的金器顯示朝拜者的崇敬；第三位手拿軟帽與禮物的黑膚賢士佇立等待在右，華麗衣袍與其錦繡花紋不僅點出三位賢士的身分，也反映出十五世紀以來的服裝樣式；隨從們則手拿旗幟靜候一旁或私語交談，其包巾帽飾透露著東方異國背景。左側畫緣的建築在構圖上形成界定前景人群的框架，與其同高的「伯利恆之星」則點出下方主要事件由來。中景的渡河騎士，岸邊房舍圍牆、柵欄小徑與綠茵茂林形成一片帶有田園風情的景致。在綠意盎然的樹林後方可見高聳的奇岩城堡，漸淡模糊的山巒與濃淡層疊有致的碧天雲彩幾乎融為一體，帶出遙遠縹緲與平和的氣氛。溫和的黃褐、藍綠主色烘托出前景人物衣袍上強烈鮮明的粉、紅、藍、白。建築空間的透視與人物尺寸比例的掌握仍有生澀之處，但充斥畫面的細微母題，如草地上的葉片、華袍上的紋飾，與林木點點葉片的描繪，與天色山景的寫實手法等，都流露出早期尼德蘭繪畫對細節的喜愛與細緻筆法的特色。(于禮本）

The scene depicted is from Matthew 2, 1-12. It tells of the three Wise Men from the East seeing from the sign of the star that the Savior of the Jews is about to be born. They follow the Star of Bethlehem in order to find and worship the Messiah.

In the central foreground is the Virgin looking down at the Holy Child in her arms, who is holding out his right hand in a gesture of blessing. In front of them, two of the Magi are kneeling, one is offering a vessel of gold, while the other is kissing the foot of the Holy Child. The crown laid on the ground and the golden vessels at the side show the adoration of the worshippers. The third magi with dark skin is standing waiting at the right with a soft hat and a gift in his hands. The opulent attire and the brocade patterns not only point out the status of the three Magi but also serve as a reflection of outfits worn in the 15th century. Their attendants are waiting on the side holding pennants in their hands or quietly conversing among themselves. The turbans show their exotic origin. The building at the left edge of the painting has become a border around the characters in the foreground, while the “Star of Bethlehem” situated at the same height points down to the main story happening below. In the center of the scene, the riders fording the river, the walls of the houses next to the shore, the fence and path form a verdant pastoral scene along with the green trees. Behind the forest, a castle jutting out from rocks can be seen. The mountain ranges gradually fading into the background melt into the blue layers of cloud and sky, as if becoming one to become one, adding a sense of distance and space to the image. The warm yellow-brown and blue-green tones heighten the vibrant colors of pink, red, blue, and white on the attire of the characters in the foreground. The perspective of the structures and the ratio of the characters are slightly lacking in terms of technique, but the scene is filled with details such as leaves on the lawn, patterns on the robes, details of the trees, and the realism of the sky and mountains. Together, these aspects reveal the affinity of early Netherlandish artists for detail and their refined techniques. (Li Pen YU)