Artwork
Nativity
Nativity is an unspecified painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Francesco Albani. It dates from 1619 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Albani’s composition emphasizes the holy family’s tenderness while integrating contemporary devotional practices associated with the Christmas narrative.
The painting portrays the newborn Jesus lying in a manger, surrounded by Mary, Joseph, and adoring shepherds, a conventional iconographic program for the Nativity of Jesus. Albani’s composition emphasizes the holy family’s tenderness while integrating contemporary devotional practices associated with the Christmas narrative.
Symbolically, the work conveys themes of divine incarnation and human salvation, aligning with Counter‑Reformation emphases on the humanity of Christ. The intimate domestic setting reflects the era’s devotional focus on the personal experience of the sacred.
The painting measures 34.6 cm by 45.4 cm and belongs to the Bavarian State Painting Collections, displayed at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.
The iconography follows traditional motifs: the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, a radiant star above, and the presence of shepherds and angels announcing the birth.
Technique & Style
The Nativity is an oil painting executed on wood panel by Francesco Albani in 1619. The work measures 34.6 cm in height by 45.4 cm in width and depicts the biblical scene of the Nativity of Jesus within a religious composition. It is currently housed in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich as part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
History & Provenance
The Nativity was painted by Francesco Albani in 1619 and is classified as a religious work depicting the Christmas scene. It has been part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is housed in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The work entered the collection with documented inception in 1619, and its dimensions are recorded as 34.6 cm in height and 45.4 cm in width.
The Nativity painting by Francesco Albani is housed in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections, with inventory number 2670.
The work was created in 1619 and measures 34.6 cm in height by 45.4 cm in width.
Its exhibition history includes inclusion in the Alte Pinakothek's display of religious paintings, though no major traveling exhibitions are documented.
The painting portrays the Christmas scene of the Nativity of Jesus and is cataloged under that theme within the museum's collection.
Overview
Nativity is a 1619 religious painting by Francesco Albani, depicting the Christmas scene. It is part of the collection at the Alte Pinakothek.
Artist & collection
Artist
Francesco Albani or Albano was an Italian Baroque painter of Albanian descent who was active in Bologna, Rome, Viterbo (1609–1610), Mantua (1621–1622) and Florence (1633).
- Maria mit Kind
Geburt Christi (Art des)
Heilige Familie mit Johannesknaben im Blumenkranz
Das Kind Jesu
Allegorie auf den Tod einer Fürstin
Die Taube des Heiligen Geistes mit blumenstreuenden Engeln (und Werkstatt)
Garland of flowers surrounding the Virgin and Child
Virgin Mary with baby Jesus
Anbetung der Hirten
Schutzengelbild (?)
Verherrlichung des Lammes
Maria mit Kind und Johannesknaben