Artwork
Geburt Christi
Geburt Christi is an unspecified painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Master of the Rajhrad Altarpiece. It dates from 1425 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created by the Master of the Rajhrad Altarpiece around 1425, the image serves as a devotional representation of this biblical narrative.
The painting depicts the Nativity of Jesus, a central event in Christian religious art where the Christ Child is born. As a work of religious genre, the subject focuses on the infant Jesus as the primary figure of veneration. Created by the Master of the Rajhrad Altarpiece around 1425, the image serves as a devotional representation of this biblical narrative.
The composition centers on the arrival of the Christ Child, establishing the theological significance of the incarnation within the context of early 15th-century religious expression.
History & Provenance
The Geburt Christi (Nativity of Christ) is dated to 1425 based on internal records and Wikidata, which both assign the work to that year.
The painting is attributed to the Master of the Rajhrad Altarpiece, an anonymous Bohemian artist active in the early 15th century. Its creation history places it within the context of Central European late-Gothic religious painting, characterized by intricate detail and devotional focus.
The work is currently held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, where it is catalogued as part of the museum’s holdings.
Overview
Geburt Christi is a painting created around 1425 by the Master of the Rajhrad Altarpiece, a Bohemian artist active in Moravia. The work is now held in the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
Technique & Style
The artist's use of a golden circle around the Virgin and Child creates a sense of focus amidst the surrounding activity. The figures are rendered in a style characteristic of the Northern Renaissance, with attention to detail and a sense of reverence.
Context
The depiction of the Christ Child in this painting connects to a long tradition of representing the Nativity scene in art, drawing on earlier iconographic models.
Artist & collection
Artist
Master of the Rajhrad Altarpiece
The Master of the Rajhrad Altarpiece (sometimes called the Master of Raigern) was a Bohemian painter active in the region around Olomouc and Brno before 1420.
- Thomasaltar, Fragment des rechten äußeren Flügels, Szene oben: Anbetung der Könige
Geburt Christi
The Adoration of the Christ Child
The Nativity - The Adoration of the Christ Child
The adoration of the Child
The Adoration of the Christ Child
Nativity
Adoration of the Magi
Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, Saint Gereon, and a Donor
Geburt Christi
Rest on the Flight into Egypt
Adoration of the Shepherds