The Nativity

c. 1470/1480

German 15th Century

Associated Names
German 15th Century

Artist

The image shows three figures against a detailed backdrop. The central figure is positioned slightly turned to the left with long, flowing golden hair and a prominent halo. They wear a brown robe with red undertones. Behind them is a person with a beard and a sea-green hat. A small figure resembling a cherubic infant lies surrounded by golden rays. In the stable setting, two animals, likely a donkey and an ox, are depicted. The background shows a rustic stable with geometric designs. Above, an angelic figure with a halo and wings hovers. The image is bordered by an intricate frame with stars and circular symbols.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    metalcut, hand-colored in yellow, red-brown lake, and green

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 6.4 × 4.8 cm (2 1/2 × 1 7/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.662

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Schreiber, Vol. IX, no. 2194, State e

  • Series Title

    Eight Scenes from a Passion Set

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Martin Aufhäuser [1875-1944], Munich, Holland, and Los Angeles; [1] Lessing J. Rosenwald, Jenkintown, PA; gift to NGA, 1943.
[1] For complete information on Aufhäuser's collection, see Rosenwald Papers, box 9, and Richard S. Field, Fifteenth Century Woodcuts and Metalcuts, Washington, D.C., 1965, Preface (np).

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1965

  • Fifteenth-Century Woodcuts and Metalcuts from the Collection of the National Gallery of Art, NGA, 1965-1966, no. 321, repro.

Bibliography

1926

  • Schreiber, Wilhelm Ludwig. Handbuch de Holz- und Metailschnitte des XV Jahrhunderts. 8 vols. Leipzig: Verlag Karl W. Hierseman, 1926-1930.

1965

  • Field, Richard S. Fifteenth Century Woodcuts and Metalcuts from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.. Exh. cat. Washington: National Gallery of Art, 1965, 321.

Watermarks

none

Wikidata ID

Q64953180

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