Nativity in art history

A collection of some nativity works of art from the 4^th until the 20^th century.

The Adoration of the Magi, Leonardo Da Vinci, 1481-1482, yellow ochre and brown ink on panel, Uffizi, Florence

Although never completed by Leonardo, it is one of the most famous paintings related with nativity and a very good way to send seasonal greetings!

Artwork of the day

The Diadoumenos, 1^st c. AD Roman copy of a c 430 Greek original. Marble, National Archaeological Museum, Athens     

‘The Diadoumenos’ belongs to the so-called High Classical period of the 5^th century BC and demonstrates all the ‘qualities’ of the style: it shows the beauty of the ideal male nude, it has clear boundaries, a main frontal viewpoint, while its surfaces have been polished similarly to give the eye a sense of a homogeneous effect.

It is believed that the original Greek bronze was a work of the sculptor Polykleitos -one of the few artists whose name has survived in modern time- who was greatly admired for his skill. His statues have been prototypes for many other classical works both Greek and Roman and he is credited with the creation of basic characteristics of the so called Canon with the ideals for symmetry and beauty.

The Diadoumenos represents a young athlete just after his victory. Originally, the bronze, would probably be placed in a sanctuary, most likely to commemorate a victory.

Sources used for this post:

Statue of Diadoumenos [Roman copy of a Greek bronze statue by Polykleitos] (25.78.56) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Artwork of the day

David, Michelangelo, 1501-1504, Academia Gallery, Florence

Seen in the turbulent context of the first years of the 16^th century in Florence, David –a statue that is still considered one of Michelangelo’s greatest works- is better understood. A magnificent colossal statue, made from Carrara marble, the artist's favourite material, David was made to impress and to show the magnificence of the city of Florence, as seen by a proud Florentine. David is in reality a symbol of the “courage” and “strength” of a city that had just come out of Savonarola’s theocratic regime and the turmoil that followed his fall and execution. At the same time, David exhibits the artistic ideologies of the Renaissance, of which Michelangelo was one of the primary exponents. The Classical influences in terms of the representation of the male nude, the posture, proportions and idealised male beauty are clear. The theme –David, a biblical hero, instead of an ancient Greek god- has been Christianized and for Michelangelo’s contemporaries this combination achieved the unthinkable: it surpassed the ancient prototypes.

Art history book of the week

Courbet by James Rubin (Phaidon)

 

A basic text for the work of one of the most important realist painters. Rubin manages to discuss not only the artist and his work but also what gave rise to them. Courbet can not be seen outside the political, social and economic context of the 19th century and his paintings are clearly associated with the world in which he lived, whether this was his native Ornans and its inhabitants or the nude females of his later life. Rubin recognizes this close association throughout the book creating an interesting and higly informative biography of the artist.

Artwork of the day

Gravestone from the Coptic Period of Egypt, 5^th century AD, limestone, Coptic Museum, Cairo

A work of art with a highly functional role as it is a gravestone placed above the tomb of the deceased. It represents a woman raising her hands in prayer, a traditional pose for Coptic gravestones. The work combines many different artistic traditions that have existed in Ancient Egypt through the course of its long history. Gravestones were common in Ancient Greece; the long mantle the woman wears is Roman, while the architectural structure under which she is placed also reminds of a classical temple.

The representation of the deceased in his/her grave has a very long tradition in Egypt coming from the Dynastic period and connected with the belief that an image of the person must survive in order for his/her soul to live eternally. At the same time the lamps above the woman's hands are parts of the Christian tradition, the religion the Egyptian Copts adopted in the first century AD.

Artwork of the day

The Peasants of Flagey, Gustave Courbet, 1850-55, oil on canvas, Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéologie, Besançon

The final Courbet painting in this context  is the Peasants of Flagey returning from the fair. The picture is less crowded than the burial at Ornans and certainly more crowded than the Stonebreakers. Here, a group of peasants returns from a fair, as the title of the painting suggests. The fair was a business event of rural life, so the people involved return to their home after having sold their products and perhaps bought other things themselves. The thin oxen in front of the peasants might symbolize poverty, or may be the result of an economic deal .However the most important thing about this painting is that this is a representation of the third class in rural France. After the exhausted workers and the indifferent bourgeoisie, Courbet depicts the peasants, those people who have been lucky enough to own some estates and be able to make a living out of them. This painting therefore completes a trilogy that aims at representing the whole of rural life from a social, critical and even political point of view.