1598
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
The Nativity is a 1598 by Palma il Giovane, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This sketch shows a group of people huddled in a dim, wooded space. One person kneels by a baby in a manger, while others stand or crouch around them, wrapped in heavy robes. The trees loom tall, their branches tangled and dark against the sky. The artist uses deep shadows and rough lines to create a sense of movement and urgency. The figures’ faces are blurred, focusing attention on their gestures and the dim light. Next, look up chiaroscuro to see how this technique works.
Iacopo Negretti (1548/50 – 14 October 1628), best known as Jacopo or Giacomo Palma il Giovane or simply Palma Giovane ('Young Palma'), was an Italian painter from Venice and a notable exponent of the Venetian school.
See the richer artist page
