Gerard David, The Nativity
Fund, 1958.320 · The Cleveland Museum of Art, Open Access (CC0)View original →
Gerard David

The Nativity

c. 1485–90

Current Collection

Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Medium
oil on wood panel
Dimensions
85.2 × 59.7 cm
Status
In Museum Collection
Collect24 Art ID
C24-113206

The nativity was one of the most frequently depicted subjects in western art. The event marks the entrance of Christ into the world and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. In the distance an angel announces the birth of Christ to the shepherds tending their flocks. One shepherd is already at the stable adoring the Christ child. In the background, the cityscape represents Jerusalem, where Christ would be crucified, represented here as a northern medieval city. Only Matthew and Luke describe Christ’s nativity in the Gospels, which led medieval writers and artists to amplify the event. So…

Provenance

Fund, 1958.320

Registry history

  • c. 1485–90 — Recorded in the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

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