Artwork
The nativity
The nativity is an oil painting by Master of the Brunswick Diptych. It dates from 1500 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
The Nativity is a painting by Master of the Brunswick Diptych. It's an oil paint work.
The painting is dated around 1500, but its source description suggests it was created circa 1495. This discrepancy highlights the uncertainty surrounding the exact date of its creation.
To learn more about the artist's style and other works, look up the artist: Master of the Brunswick Diptych.
Technique & Style
The composition presents a religious scene where the Christ Child lies upon a cloak while Mary kneels, flanked by Joseph, an ox, a donkey, and three angels.
The Nativity is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel support, measuring 45.3 cm in height and 34.8 cm in width. The composition presents a religious scene where the Christ Child lies upon a cloak while Mary kneels, flanked by Joseph, an ox, a donkey, and three angels. The artist employs a specific iconographic style influenced by the revelations of Bridget of Sweden, characterized by the youthful Virgin with loose blond curly hair and a depiction of the birth that emphasizes its miraculous, painless nature without visible umbilical cord or afterbirth.
In the upper right corner, a distant landscape depicts the annunciation to the shepherds, integrating narrative depth into the formal arrangement. The work was previously attributed to Geertgen tot Sint Jans before being reassigned to the Master of the Brunswick Diptych in 1927.
History & Provenance
The Nativity, an oil on panel painted around 1500, was created by the Master of the Brunswick Diptych. It depicts the Virgin Mary kneeling before the infant Christ, accompanied by oxen, donkeys, angels and a distant landscape of the Annunciation to the shepherds. The work entered the collection of Cornelis Hoogendijk, who owned it before his sister Maria Ida Adriana Hoogendijk donated it to the Rijksmuseum in 1912.
Initially attributed to Geertgen tot Sint Jans, the painting was re-attributed to the Master of the Brunswick Diptych in 1927 following the scholarship of Max J. Friedländer.
The Nativity is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The work entered the museum's holdings in 1912 as a donation from Maria Ida Adriana Hoogendijk, following its previous ownership by her brother, Cornelis Hoogendijk. While the specific inventory or accession number is not provided in the available records, the painting's provenance is well-documented through these transfers.
The source material does not list any specific exhibitions in the work's history, focusing instead on its attribution changes and iconographic details.
Context
The Nativity, painted circa 1500 on panel by the Master of the Brunswick Diptych, entered the Rijksmuseum collection through the donation of Maria Ida Adriana Hoogendijk in 1912. Initially attributed to Geertgen tot Sint Jans, the work was re-identified as a distinct hand by Max J. Friedländer in 1927, establishing the artist's alternative name. Scholarly discussion highlights the painting's blend of Bridget of Sweden's revelations with late-medieval devotional motifs, evident in the Virgin's youthful posture, loose blond hair, and the miraculous virgin birth without visible cords.
Iconographically it connects to related compositions in Minneapolis and Glasgow, underscoring the Master's influence on Northern Renaissance religious art.
Legacy
The painting's reputation has evolved significantly through shifts in attribution. Originally associated with Geertgen tot Sint Jans while in the collection of Cornelis Hoogendijk, the work was reattributed in 1927 by Max J. Friedländer to the Master of the Brunswick Diptych. This reclassification clarified its place within the artist's oeuvre, distinguishing it from the earlier attribution.
The work is now recognized for its close iconographic alignment with the revelations of Bridget of Sweden, a connection that underscores its adherence to popular religious imagery of the late fifteenth century. Its donation to the Rijksmuseum in 1912 by Maria Ida Adriana Hoogendijk secured its public legacy. The painting is also noted for its stylistic relationship to contemporary works held in Minneapolis and Glasgow.
Overview
The Nativity is an oil on panel painting created around 1495 by the artist known as the Master of the Brunswick Diptych. Housed in the Rijksmuseum collection, this work depicts the birth of Christ, a central theme in Christian art. The composition presents a detailed interpretation of the biblical event, incorporating specific iconographic elements that were popular during the late 15th century.
Subject & Meaning
The painting illustrates the Nativity, with the Virgin Mary kneeling reverently before the infant Jesus, who rests on her cloak. Joseph, depicted as a young man, and three angels gaze towards the child, while an ox and donkey appear behind Mary. This portrayal closely aligns with the influential visions of Saint Bridget of Sweden, which were widely disseminated.
Key elements include the youthful appearance of the Virgin, the praying hands of Mary and Joseph, and the miraculous, painless birth that preserved Mary's virginity. A distant landscape featuring the annunciation to the shepherds occupies the upper right.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Master of the Brunswick Diptych
Master of the Brunswick Diptych is the conventional name given to an anonymous Early Netherlandish painter active in Haarlem in the northern Netherlands around 1480 to 1500.
