Getty Museum
The Nativity
Creator
Simon BeningFlemish Illuminator · 1483–1561
All works by this person →One of the most celebrated painters of Flanders in the 1500s, Simon Bening was hailed by Portuguese art critic Francisco da Hollanda as the greatest master of illumination in all of Europe. In addition to producing books for powerful aristocrats such as Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg, Bening worked for a group of international royal patrons including Emperor Charles V and Don Fernando, the Infan
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- about 1525–1530
- Medium
- Tempera colors, gold paint, and gold leaf
- Culture
- Flemish
- Department
- Manuscripts
- Institution
- Getty Museum
Mary and Joseph, four angels, and an ass and an ox cluster in a tight circle around the tiny Christ Child. They block the view of two shepherds, who lean out from behind a column to get a glimpse of the child. Two angels above complete the group of adorers, all eager to pay homage to the newborn child. The Roman ruins chosen as the site for the Nativity probably symbolically highlight the transition from the classical to the Christian world that occurred with the birth of Christ.
The authoritative record is held by Getty Museum. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.
Get printable QR codesHide QR codes
Open QR codes for this object page and the museum record. They stay collapsed until needed.
Related across collections
Semantically similar works from Getty Museum and other institutions.