Artwork
The Nativity
The Nativity is a tempera painting by the Early Renaissance artist Antoniazzo Romano. It dates from 1490 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1490 by Antoniazzo Romano, this tempera panel painting illustrates the Nativity of Jesus, a central event in Christian religious art.
Created in 1490 by Antoniazzo Romano, this tempera panel painting illustrates the Nativity of Jesus, a central event in Christian religious art. The composition features the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child as the primary figures, surrounded by a donkey, sheep, and an angel. These animals and the celestial messenger serve as traditional iconographic elements that emphasize the humility of Christ's birth and the divine announcement to the world.
By situating the holy family within a landscape setting alongside specific fauna, the work visually communicates the theological significance of the Incarnation, blending human and animal witnesses to underscore the universal nature of the event depicted.
Technique & Style
The Nativity is executed in tempera on a wooden panel, the standard medium for Italian panel painting in the late fifteenth century. The support, a poplar or similar wood panel, measures approximately 29.2 cm high by 67.3 cm wide. Tempera's quick-drying nature allows Antoniazzo Romano to render fine linear details and luminous color washes, evident in the delicate modeling of the Virgin, Christ Child, and surrounding figures.
The composition follows a devotional religious genre, arranging the angel, donkey, sheep, and Holy Family within a cohesive landscape space, reflecting the artist's careful handling of perspective and narrative clarity.
History & Provenance
The Nativity is a tempera painting on panel created by the Italian artist Antoniazzo Romano, also known as Antonio di Benedetto Aquilio. The work dates to 1490. It resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is recorded as accession number 14.96.3, having entered the museum through the Rogers Fund in 1914.
It is classified as a religious painting depicting the birth of Jesus Christ alongside figures such as Mary, an angel, and animals. The available records do not contain specific details regarding the original commissioner or earlier ownership history.
Overview
“The Nativity” is a tempera painting that illustrates the birth of Christ within a nocturnal setting. The artwork centers on the infant Jesus in a manger, attended by key figures from the biblical account. The composition extends to encompass a pastoral landscape and a distant village, grounding the sacred event within a recognizable world.
Artist & collection
Artist
Antonio di Benedetto Aquilo degli Aquili (c. 1430 – c. 1510), known as Antoniazzo Romano, was an Italian Early Renaissance painter, the leading figure of the Roman school during the latter part of the 15th century He…
