1472
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
The Nativity is a 1472 by Martin Schongauer, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
Mary kneels in a ruined stable, her hands folded over a baby lying on her cloak. Joseph stands behind her, holding a candle that throws soft light on their faces. A donkey and an ox peek in from the shadows. Schongauer carved this scene into metal first, then printed it on paper—one of the earliest artists in Germany to do so. The candlelight makes the figures glow against the dark, a trick called chiaroscuro. To see how other artists used light like this, look up chiaroscuro.
This print of the Nativity is the first of a set of four engravings considered to be an incomplete series of episodes of the Life of the Virgin, which also includes the Adoration of the Magi (1942.1070), The flight into Egypt (1954.260), and The Death of the Virgin (1956.744). Here, Martin Schongauer portrayed the humble and private joy of the Virgin Mary in prayer as she adores the holy infant, who lies on the ground on a corner of her cloak. Joseph gazes tenderly at his wife and holds a lantern. The holy family is joined by the ox and the donkey. The scene takes place in the ruins of a…
In this example, Martin Schongauer's skill with the engraver's burin is on display in the extensive vocabulary of marks that delineate stones, foliage, vines, garment folds, human hair, and animal fur.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Martin Schongauer, also known as Martin Schön or Hübsch Martin by his contemporaries, was an Alsatian engraver and painter.
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