Artwork
The Nativity with Saints
The Nativity with Saints is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio. It dates from 1532 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This small triptych, painted by Ridolfo Ghirlandaio around 1514, served as a private devotional object for a Benedictine monastery.
About this work
A kneeling Benedictine monk joins the Nativity on the central panel of a small triptych, tying a Florentine monastery's devotions to the birth of Christ.
A kneeling Benedictine monk joins the Nativity on the central panel of a small triptych, tying a Florentine monastery's devotions to the birth of Christ. Ridolfo Ghirlandaio painted the wings with Saints Peter, Matthew, and Christine at left and Saints Paul, John the Evangelist, and possibly Elizabeth of Hungary at right, in a format small enough to close like a book. The Met acquired it in 1931 through the Friedsam bequest.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the Nativity of Jesus, showing the Madonna and Child accompanied by an angel and several saints, including John the Evangelist, Saint Peter, and Paul the Apostle. As a religious work, the scene conveys the incarnation and the communal veneration of the Holy Family, with the surrounding saints underscoring their roles as witnesses and intercessors within the Christian narrative of salvation.
Technique & Style
Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio's The Nativity with Saints (1532) is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel, measuring 35.6 by 10.2 centimeters. The medium's slow drying time allowed for meticulous blending, evident in the smooth transitions of flesh tones and drapery. The vertically oriented panel suggests a predella or devotional panel format.
Stylistically, the work reflects High Renaissance conventions, with balanced composition, harmonious coloration, and precise anatomical rendering, though tempered by a more restrained handling characteristic of early sixteenth-century Florentine painting.
History & Provenance
The work titled The Nativity with Saints was painted by Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio in 1532 using oil on panel. It measures approximately 35.6 cm by 10.2 cm and depicts a Nativity scene with figures including the Madonna and Child, angels, Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The painting remained in the collection of Michael Friedsam before entering the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is presently housed. No documentation of its original commission is extant in the available sources.
Overview
This small triptych, painted by Ridolfo Ghirlandaio around 1514, served as a private devotional object for a Benedictine monastery. The central panel depicts the Nativity, with the Virgin Mary adoring the infant Christ, while a kneeling monk, likely the patron, observes the scene. Its compact, foldable design allowed for intimate contemplation, making it a personal aid for prayer. The work is a notable example of Ghirlandaio's smaller religious commissions.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Ridolfo di Domenico Bigordi, better known as Ridolfo Ghirlandaio (14 February 1483 – 6 June 1561) was an Italian Renaissance painter active mainly in Florence. He was the son of Domenico Ghirlandaio.
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