Look Underneath, Look Above, and Look Beside. On Three Wise Men, Kings and Priests Gazing at the Infant's Genitali

The theme of this article focuses on a specific group of visual artworks created during the late Middle Ages. This group is characterised by the use of the Adoration of the Three Kings iconography, with the key aspect of the composition being the act of gazing at the genitals of the Infant Jesus. The article has reviewed the medieval cultural and theological model of thinking about the naked body of the child as both sexless and male. The origins of Christian views on the biological nature of man can be traced back to Hebrew and ancient culture and the concept of Logos. The relationship between creation, male sexuality, and the ideal of physical perfection was vividly taken up by medieval theologians, and also reflected in fine art works. The formation of the iconography of representations of the Adoration and the understanding of how secular rulers and representatives of the clergy were viewed is also an important theme. The group of depictions in question seems to serve to explain the origins of power and to indicate moral standards. The use of the depiction of the naked body of the Child to demonstrate the genesis of earthly, secular, and clerical authority was specific to the late Middle Ages.