The Nativity
A man, woman, and four winged angels gather and kneel around a nude infant lying on the ground under a stone arched opening set in front of a landscape in this vertical painting. All of the people have pale white or lightly tanned skin. To our left, the woman wears gold-edged, royal-blue robes and has long, curly brown hair. The baby lies on the hem of her robe, his body facing her. An older, balding and bearded man kneels to the right, leaning on a walking stick. He wears a red garment under a green robe, and he holds a hat in his hands as he gazes at the baby. About a third the size of the man and woman, two of the angels kneel between the man and woman and another pair kneel to our left of the woman, seeming close to us. The angels wear colorful gold, pink, red, or yellow robes and all have long wavy blond hair. Their hands touch in prayer and all look down toward the baby. The people are sheltered in front of a crumbling stone wall under a wooden structure. To our left, a cow and donkey are penned in a stable. Two pairs of men stand near or lean on the other side of the rock wall that encloses the scene. A landscape with green rolling hills and a distant town with towers and buildings fills the background beneath a clear blue sky. A triangular structure made of wood beams is framed within the carved archway, which seems to separate us from the space of the painting. The face of the arch looks like it is carved with a nude man atop a column to the left and a similar woman to the right, and with miniature scenes stacked on tiny platforms curving upward to the apex of the arch.
Details
- Palette
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- Medium
- oil on panel
- Dimensions
- painted surface: 127.6 x 94.9 cm (50 1/4 x 37 3/8 in.) overall (panel): 130 x 97 cm (51 3/16 x 38 3/16 in.) framed: 149.2 x 118.4 cm (58 3/4 x 46 5/8 in.)
- Department
- CNE-R
- Holding institution
- National Gallery of Art
- Image provider
- national-gallery-of-art
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Andrew W. Mellon Collection
Art Genome Taxonomy
9 tags
Subject Matter
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Bible Story Both · 99%
The title identifies the work as The Nativity, and the image visibly depicts Mary, Joseph, the infant Christ, angels, and the stable setting associated with the biblical scene.
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Human Figure Visual · 99%
Numerous human figures occupy the composition, including the central sacred group, background onlookers, and painted figures incorporated into the architectural frame.
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Landscapes Both · 99%
A rural landscape of green hills, trees, fields, a road, and a distant settlement fills the opening behind the shelter.
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Animals Both · 98%
A cow and a donkey are visibly housed in the stable at the left side of the composition.
Visual Qualities
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Highly Detailed Visual · 98%
The painting displays extensive fine detail in the architectural frame, miniature relief scenes, costumes, landscape, masonry, timber structure, and figures.
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Emphasis on Linear Perspective Visual · 86%
The receding landscape, diminishing background figures, stable structure, and architectural framing establish a carefully constructed sense of spatial depth.
Medium and Techniques
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Oil on Panel Metadata · 100%
The National Gallery of Art records the medium as oil on panel.
Time Periods
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15th Century Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog dates the work to circa 1450, placing it in the fifteenth century.
Cultural and Religious Styles
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Christian Art and Architecture Both · 98%
The subject and visible figures establish a Christian sacred scene centered on Mary, Joseph, the infant, and praying angels.
Source & rights
Petrus Christus. The Nativity. Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington.