Pictures of the Month | December 2008
Picture of the Month
December 2008
The Nativity [c.1515]
Ascribed to Jan De Beer
(c.1475 - after 1520)
For this month’s festive Picture of the Month we invite you to admire this detailed nocturnal Nativity, painted by Early Netherlandish artist Jan de Beer (c.1475 - after 1520). Unusually, this historic account of the birth of Christ is presented in a contemporary setting, with marble pillars and grandiose arches surrounding the magnificent scene below. An angel swathed in drapery hovers above the manger as other angels are shown adoring the child Jesus, their wings arched and their robes glistening with golden embellishments. The gesture of the Virgin is mirrored in the hands of the angels who surround the manger in shared veneration.
This scene, with its harmonious composition and delicate figures, is typical of late medieval tradition in evoking devotional piety. The altar-like manger, which glows with divine light, holds Eucharistic overtones in anticipation of the Passion and death of Christ as the wheat represents the bread that becomes the body of Christ at the Mass. The faces of the angels foretell Christ’s fate with their tormented expressions. The heavy curtain both suggests an altar curtain and reveals Joseph’s torch — a reminder of the divine light of Christ himself.
There is a supernatural quality to this painting, enhanced by its night time setting and the eerily illuminated faces of the angels. The angel in the foreground with a golden brocade cloak has peacock wings which stand out against his striking auburn hair. The peacock is a traditional symbol of immortality and may point to Christ’s reign on earth. Alternatively, this angel, different to the others, could represent Lucifer, who was at times depicted in the form of an angel with peacock wings. This reading suggests that the Devil bears witness to the birth of the child that will bring his downfall.
The little known artist, Jan de Beer, was one of most talented painters in Antwerp in the early 16th century. This Nativity scene is characteristic of his late style, masterfully balancing colour and light to create an atmosphere of mystery, reverence and adoration. The scene, which forms the reverse of this double-sided work, was most likely painted as part of a composite altarpiece that would originally have been devoted to the life of the Virgin. Two other works by the artist in the Thyssen Collection in Madrid depict the Birth of the Virgin and the Annunciation.
| What is your favourite work of art in the Barber Institute galleries? Drop us a line at info@barber.org.uk and let us know, and we could feature your choice in a future Picture of the Month. |