In the spirit of Christmas, Richard is going to do what AHA does best, which is to illuminate the overlooked corners our visual world. By the time of this lecture you will doubtless be able to look behind you to see Christmas cards depicting the Adoration of the Magi – many of them you will have seen year after year. As so often happens, the more we encounter something, the less we look. Richard will explore why paintings of the adoration became such a fad for around 200 years and what they meant to the viewer and to the patron. Then he will look at the problem of how an artist leaves their mark on a subject depicted countless times by others before. And lastly, he will address the impact of God’s presence on earth and how this is a moment of complete change, salvation and hope. Viewers are invited to join the lecture in their best Magi costume, crown or tiara - no camels though.