Adoration of the Magi,

The Magi, as worldly representatives, keep a respectful distance from the sacred scene. Only a sheaf of grain cuts into this space—a symbolic reference to the Eucharist, conveying the sacrament between god and mankind. Gerard David adhered closely to a composition by Hugo van der Goes that has since been lost—a copy of which, however, can be seen in Berlin (Gemäldegalerie /SMPK). The details were transferred from the original using the pouncing method.