1472
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Nativity is a 1472 ink by Martin Schongauer, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows a stone arch framing a quiet night scene. In the center, a woman in a long robe holds a sleeping baby in a manger. An older man kneels beside them, holding a staff. To the right, an ox and donkey stand nearby, while a small figure in the background tends to a lantern. Angels float above the arch, and tiny buildings peek through the darkness. The artist used fine lines to create deep shadows and texture, especially in the stone walls and folds of the robes. This kind of detailed linework is called *cross-hatching*—layers of crisscrossed lines build up dark areas without color. Want to see more? Look up engraving to learn how artists like this carved images into metal.
Martin Schongauer, also known as Martin Schön or Hübsch Martin by his contemporaries, was an Alsatian engraver and painter.
See the richer artist page
