I’ve been travelling around Europe this year and seen some beautiful images in churches, abbeys, and convents depicting the early family life of Jesus Christ. From the Canary Islands to Prague, here is a selection of medieval statues and paintings showing the nativity and other key events in the infancy of the Messiah. A visual feast for Christmas. Enjoy!
Let’s start with this statue of the baby Jesus being held by his father, Joseph. He was often portrayed as an elderly man. The reason was that Jesus had older siblings. If Mary was a virgin, she could not have been the mother. So, Joseph must have been a widower with children from a previous marriage.
Piero della Francesca painted The Nativity in the 1480s and this hangs in the National Gallery in London, where I visited in the autumn. There is a medieval Italian cityscape in the background. The angels are wingless and their singing is accompanied by the donkey just behind them. It’s a rather joyless Nativity in my humble opinion.
In September this year, I visited the Louvre in Paris, weeks before the multi-million dollar jewel heist the following month. What grabbed my attention was the red coral necklace around the baby’s throat. During the Renaissance, this was believed to protect children from the evil eye. But it also evokes the blood of Jesus and his future sacrifice.
Same year – in July – I was in Amalfi in Italy. At the cathedral, I saw this statue of Jesus with the same red coral necklace.
Staying in Paris, I was very taken by this 16th century altarpiece at the Musée de Cluny. In the nativity scene, Jesus seems to be inspecting his gifts. One image with the whole nativity and then a close up.
What I liked about this statue of the virgin and child in Prague was the playfulness. Mary seems to be tickling her baby! There’s a genuine tenderness here.
Hope you enjoyed those images and have a great Christmas!
