One of the finest works from the golden era of Flemish manuscript illumination

including the Sistine Chapel ceiling and the Medici Chapel tombs

as artists developed their own unique — and often experimental — processes

its patron and program

these charming hangings

Balthazar: A Black African King in Medieval and Renaissance Art illumination One of the finest worksEdited by Kristen Collins and Bryan C. Keene With an introduction by Henry Louis Gates Jr. This abundantly illustrated book examines the figure of Balthazar, one of the biblical magi, and explains how and why he came to be depicted as a Black African king. According to the Gospel of Matthew, magi from the East, following a star, traveled to Jerusalem bearing precious gifts for the infant Jesus. The magi were revered as wise men and later as kings.