Artwork
Geburt Christi
Geburt Christi is an unspecified painting by the High Baroque Italian artist Giuseppe Maria Crespi. It dates from 1706 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Giuseppe Maria Crespi's 1706 painting, titled Geburt Christi, depicts the Nativity of Jesus, a central event in Christian religious art.
Giuseppe Maria Crespi's 1706 painting, titled Geburt Christi, depicts the Nativity of Jesus, a central event in Christian religious art. The composition focuses on the Christ Child as its primary subject, adhering to traditional iconography surrounding the birth of Christ. As a work of religious genre, the piece serves as a visual representation of this foundational biblical narrative, intended to evoke devotion through the portrayal of the infant Jesus.
History & Provenance
Geburt Christi was painted by Giuseppe Maria Crespi in 1706. It is a painting depicting the Nativity of Jesus, showing the Christ Child, and belongs to the religious genre. The work measures 82.3 cm in height and 64 cm in width.
The painting entered the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is now housed in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. No earlier ownership records or commission details are provided in the available sources.
The painting Geburt Christi by Giuseppe Maria Crespi, dated 1706, is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections. It is currently located at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The provided sources do not contain specific inventory or accession numbers for the work, nor do they list any exhibitions in which the painting has been displayed.
Overview
Geburt Christi is a religious painting by the Italian artist Giuseppe Maria Crespi, completed in 1706. The work is executed in oil and depicts the Nativity, showing the Christ Child with the Virgin Mary in a subdued interior setting. It is currently housed in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, one of Germany's most significant collections of Old Master paintings.
Technique & Style
Crespi employs pronounced chiaroscuro, allowing darkness to dominate the composition while selective illumination draws attention to the central figures. A tall column rises in the background, providing architectural depth amid the obscurity. The paint application features thick, visible brushstrokes that lend tactile texture to surfaces. The restrained palette and shadowy atmosphere generate a contemplative, quietly mysterious tone rather than theatrical drama.
Artist & collection
Artist
Giuseppe Maria Crespi (14 March 1665 – 16 July 1747), nicknamed Lo Spagnuolo ('The Spaniard'), was an Italian late Baroque painter of the Bolognese School.
- Der hl. Nepomuk Almosen spendend
Autumn: Bacchus Returning from the Indies
Moonlight
Kreuzabnahme Christi
The Fairies
Moonlight
Spring: Orpheus Coming to the Aid of Eurydice
Allegory
Madonna and Child and Little Saint John
Coriolan lässt sich von seiner Familie bereden
Summer: Diana Surprised at her Bath by Actaeon
Der Mund der Wahrheit