Looking at the Masters: The Art of Christmas

Religious art created to tell the story of Christ’s birth was influenced by many sources beyond Matthew and Luke in the New Testament and numerous verses from Old Testament prophets.  Since Christianity began, religious individuals have written down their thoughts and visions adding to the events surrounding Christ’s birth. Some of these writing were accepted by the Catholic Church as legitimate, while other texts, although disputed, were still available.  Artists and their patrons, from the Byzantine period to the Renaissance, liberally employed these stories and symbols in their art. Churches and wealthy nobles commissioned all of the art work, and had artists include persons and symbols that they desired.  Thousands of images of the birth of Christ were produced.

Two separate incidents are frequently conflated in works of art depicting the birth of Christ.  “On the eight day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was names Jesus, the name the angel had given before he had been conceived” (Luke 2: 21). When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, Every firstborn make to be consecrated the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with that is said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of doves or two young pigeons” (Luke 2: 22). The Catholic calendar celebrates these events on two separate days.  The Circumcision of Jesus is celebrated on January 1, and the Purification is celebrated on February 2, forty days later as specified by Mosaic Law.  

Bernardo Luini’s painting, “Circumcision” (1520), depicts the two events, but emphasizes the circumcision.  Mary and Joseph have returned to the temple in Jerusalem from Bethlehem.  The setting is in an Italian Renaissance church and the Mohel (Rabbi) holds up a scalpel about to perform the ritual.  In an unusual depiction, Jesus holds onto Mary’s arm for support. Mary is elegantly dressed in a red dress and dark green cloak, rather than in the traditional royal blue.  The sleeves of her garments are heavily embroidered with gold and her cloak is closed at the neck with a wide gold band.  Mary is the only figure in the scene given a halo.  In keeping with the artistic tradition, Mary is a young woman, and Joseph is a middle ages man with a beard.  His robes too are resplendent with gold, and he has brought two doves in a basket to the Temple for the Purification.  A roundel on the altar depicts the Old Testament story of Abraham about to sacrifice Isaac.  An angel flies in above Abraham’s head and grasps his arm to prevent the sacrifice. Isaac was not sacrificed, but Jesus will be. A number of spectators look on. In many cases they would be portraits of family who commissioned the painting. 

The Golden Legend (1275) explains the circumcision was necessary to show the Jews that Jesus was human.  The act served to remove any excuse for the Jews not to acknowledged Jesus as the promised savior. Mary and Joseph strictly followed Mosaic Law (Law of Moses). The Golden Legend continues to explain the significance of the Circumcision as the first of five times Christ shed blood for our redemption. 

Giotto’s fresco “Presentation to the Temple” (1304-06) (Arena Chapel, Padua) completes Luke’s description of the two events. Mosaic Law requires a woman to wait forty days after giving birth to a male child before going to the Temple to be purified and to redeem her first born son.  Joseph holds the pair of doves, an offering given in memory of the first born of Egypt. The book of Leviticus and The Golden Legend state a woman who has a male child is unclean for seven days, and cannot enter the Temple for thirty-three more days.  At that time she offers gifts to buy back her child, and the child’s soul is then infused into his body.  If the child was female, the mother must wait twice as long, since Christ chose to be born a man, males would grew faster, women had sinned more, starting with Eve, and their suffering should be doubled.  

Giotto’s painting is a fresco, water based paint on a plaster wall.  Mary’s outer blue robe and Joseph’s under robe have lost most of their blue paint, as has much of the blue sky.  Blue paint was the most delicate of the colors. Giotto was the first artist to place figures before a blue sky rather than the gold sky of the previous Byzantine style. Giotto also was the first artist to be able to depict figures with weight and to appear as if they were standing on the ground.  Although he was not able to show emotion on the faces of his figures, his use of gestures to generate emotions were unparalleled.  His achievements were the major influence for Italian Renaissance artists in the next century.

Ludovico Carracci’s painting “Presentation” (1605) fulfills the promise of Giotto’s art and completes the story started in Luke 2: 21-28.  In the temple, was Simon, an elderly man with a long white beard reaches out to hold Jesus. Simon was one of the scribes who copied and translated the Book of Isaiah for Pharaoh Ptolemy II of Egypt (260 BCE). Coming to the passage, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign, Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call him Emmanuel,” (Isaiah 1: 14), Simon thought this could not be right and crossed it out. The next morning the sentence had been rewritten in the document. Simon crossed the sentence out three times, but each morning it reappeared.  Finally accepting that a virgin would bear a son, Simon prayed to live to see such a thing.  Simon, now over two hundred sixty years old, reaches out to hold and accept the miraculous child.  Next to Simon is the prophetess Anna, the decrepit old woman holding the stone tablet.  Anna prophesied great things for Jesus but will not reach out and will not embrace him. 

 On January 6, thirteen days after Christ’s birth, the Magi reached Jerusalem.  In the time of the holy Crusades (1099-1221), structures called Mont Joie’s were constructed. From these sites one could see Jerusalem.  The “Mount Joie” (1420) (Limbourg Brothers,Tres Riches Heures) depicted in this illuminated manuscript is an elaborate Gothic structure with pointed arches and numerous pinnacles and spires.  Three gold draped female figures, presumably Faith, Hope and Charity, can be seen inside. Three gilded warrior figures appear at the top. The Magi and their retinues come from three different directions and are dressed in colorful silks and brocade from the East. Trade in these fabrics along the Silk Road was established by 130 BCE-1453 CE. The figures presumably are intended to illustrate their nations of origin, but are most drawn from the artists imagination.  The oldest Magi with a white beard and rides a white horse. The middle aged Magi with the brown beard rides a gray horse.  The youngest Magi is clean shaven.  This artistic tradition of showing age by hair color and beard was established early in painting and did not end until the Italian Renaissance when artists began to understand how to render faces with the appropriate signs of age.  Exotic animals accompany the Magi: a lion climbs a hill behind the Mont Joie, two cheetahs and two camels accompany the middle aged Magi, and a brown bear and small green lizard look on from the right. 

Epiphany (epi meaning above and phanos an appearance), is celebrated on January 6. According to Matthew 2: 1-2: “Magi from the east came to Jerusalem” seeking the “star of Jacob” and the King of the Jews. They were following a sign in the heavens prophesized by Baalem, a diviner in the Book of Numbers (24: 17). The Bible does not specify the number of Magi, but it tells of gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Magi were wise men and astronomers. “The Magi” (505 CE) (Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna), a mosaic, depicts three men in Persian dress and wearing red Phrygian caps. Tertullian the Christian (160-230 CE) determined that the three gifts were gifts were ones that would be given from a King to a King.  In the Sixth Century, it was decided to give the Magi/Kings names from the ancient Mesopotamian list of the gods.  Balthasar, Melchior and Caspar are written above their heads.  The Byzantine gold sky, green grass with flowering plants, and date palm trees complete this scene.

Gentile da Fabriano’s altarpiece,“Adoration of the Magi” (1423) (9’11’’ x 9’3’’),  is an excellent combination of early Italian Renaissance mixed with the International Gothic style.  It was commissioned by Pala Strozzi, one of the very wealthy Florentine nobleman.  It is a complete altarpiece with an elaborately carved and gilded wood frame.  The first of three top scenes depicts the angel Gabriel, who delivering the Annunciation to Mary, with two Old Testament prophets who foretell the birth of Christ. In the center, God is depicted with Moses and the Ten Commandments and King David, the ancestor of Christ.  In the third scene, Mary is accepting the message from Gabriel and is shown with two other Old Testament prophets. The three panels across the bottom are called predella and tell the early part of the Nativity story.  In sequence from left to right they are the Nativity with the mid-wives and annunciation to the shepherds; Mary, Joseph, and the Child on the way to Jerusalem; and Mary and Joseph presentation of Jesus to the Temple for purification and circumcision.  The main altar depicts the Adoration of the Magi.  Across the top Fabriano shows the journey of the Magi as they follow the star in search of the newborn King of the Jews.  

The major scene, the three Magi/Kings adoring the child, fills the forefront. The older figure has fallen on his knees and removed his crown in deference to the new king.  The middle aged Magi/King reaches up to remove his crown, and the youngest, standing out in his red tights, is having his spurs removed as he waits his turn.  One hopes his attendant in blue will not be trampled. All of the figures, including the two mid-wives and the entourage are richly dressed.  Christ, although only thirteen days old, sits upright and reaches out His hand to the elder Magi/King.  In adoration of the Magi scenes, Jesus is represented as having both knowledge of his intended purpose and physical abilities beyond that of a newborn. 

The setting combines the cave/stable and stone and wood structure of a stable, and the ox and the ass. Fabriano has included several animals in the scene. Foremost is a muzzled grey hound, a prized status symbol of the wealthy. Several beautifully caparisoned horses are crowded in the right hand corner. Fabriano, trying to show the horses in three dimensions, is not successful.  It is an interesting to study and image the reality of the people and horses in this congested space.

Numerous exotic animals have come from the East with the Magi. Careful observation will reveal a snarling cheetah between two horse’s heads. Moving farther into the crowd, a lion’s head, a pelican nest, two monkeys, and two hawks can be found.  Big cats were prized animals in a Prince’s’ collection as they represented among other things power and strength.  Hawks, known for their great speed and incredible eyesight, were used for hunting and symbolic of intuition. The pelican was a spiritual icon; a mother pelican would feed her babies by striking her own breast to give her body and blood if necessary. Christ gave his body and blood to save his children as is celebrated in the Eucharist 

        

The Venerable Bede (673-735), an English Benedictine Monk, described the nature of Christ by the gifts he was given:  gold for His royalty, frankincense for His divinity, and myrrh for His mortality. St Bernard (12th Century) found more practical reasons for the gifts.  The gold would keep the holy family from poverty in Egypt, the frankincense would help to purify the smells in the stable, and myrrh would drive the worms contracted in stables from Christ’s entrails. In the thirteenth Century it was also decided that the Magi represented Europe, Asia, and Africa.  Albrecht Durer’s “Adoration of the Magi” (1504) (39 x 44.7’’) depicts this last development.  The oldest Magi, the European, has removed his crown, and kneels before Jesus and Mary.  The blond, long- bearded middle aged Magi, however is not Asian.  Although it was determined he would be Asian, no artist attempted to create this impression.  This is Durer’s self portrait. He frequently placed himself as a character in religious scenes.  He was one of the early artists to include an African male as the third Magi. 

Durer had traveled to Florence and had seen Leonardo da Vinci’s unfinished “Adoration of the Magi” (1481-82). Durer liberally copied the background scenery from da Vinci.  The falling stone walls and crumbing Roman arches represent the old law of Rome.  He also included da Vinci’s group of Roman soldiers on horseback in the far right.  The newly built stable in the foreground, is his addition to the scenery, and it represents the new law of Christ.  Two butterflies are perched next to the Virgin and are symbols of the resurrection of Christ:  as the butterfly emerges from the cocoon as Christ emerged from the tomb. The plants and greens, identifiable to a close observer, growing from the stones also have symbolic meanings but are always indicative of regeneration and new life.  

Small but not insignificant are the ant and the beetle. The ant is next to Mary and the butterflies. Although thought to be small and weak, ants are frequently observed in the Bible as symbols of cooperation, organization, providing for the future.  They were observed to work together to build and to store food for the future.  The beetle, seen in the lower right hand corner, in the form of the scarab/dung beetle, was a symbol from Egypt,  Egyptians observed the female beetle rolled what they thought was a ball of earth ahead of her, and they thought baby beetles were born from this earth. To them it was a sign of a miraculous transformation and birth.  The arrival of the beetles also signaled the coming of the annual flooding of the Nile.  Thus the beetle represented hard work, creativity, and good luck.  Roman Catholic artist painted copious symbols is their paintings, as everything on this earth was created by God and had a meaning and purpose. 

The Gospel of Matthew 2:11-14, tells that after the Magi left, an angel appeared to Joseph and told him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt, as King Herod would look for Jesus to kill him.  Herod ordered the massacre of all male children of one year and younger, the act recalling Pharaohs’ order to massacre the first born children of the Jews. Several miraculous events are recorded during the journey.  Josephus the Historian (37-100 CE) wrote that Mary and Joseph traveled on robbers’ paths to avoid detection.  When they came upon robbers, a young robber stopped the other from robbing them. According to Josephus Mary said to the robber: “The Lord God will receive this to his right hand and grant thee pardon for thy sins.”  This was Dismas the good thief, who was crucified with Christ and was believed to have been forgiven.  Pseudo Matthew records that when the holy family entered Egypt, trees bowed down to Jesus and idols fell as prophesied by Isaiah.  “Toppling of the Pagan Idols” (1423) (Bedford Master) depicts one such idol falling.  The sculpture on top of the column appears to come to life and is aware he is falling, and comically displays a startled expression.

    

The manuscript image, “The Flight into Egypt” (1400) (Limbourg Brothers, Tres Riches Heures), depicts two separate stories. The Gospel of Pseudo Matthew tells the story of the palm tree. On their journey, Mary saw a palm tree, and tired and thirsty, she asked Joseph to pick her some fruit. ”Then the child Jesus, who was sitting on her knee, ordered the palm-tree to bow down and let his mother eat of the fruit at her pleasure.  As the tree still continued to bow, Jesus permitted it to resume its upright position, and, for its devotion, chose it as tree of eternal life for the dying, and declared he would make his triumphal entry into Jerusalem with a palm branch in his hand.”  The Limbourg Brothers chose to depict Jesus as young boy in a gold robe giving fruit to two other boys.  Also included are the two midwives and the back ends of the ox and the ass. Inclusion extraneous figures are often found in works of art created for specific patrons and included at their request.  More than one story describing trees bowing down to Christ were written and were included in both the journey to Bethlehem for the Nativity and the flight into Egypt.  

The lower scene of the manuscript depicts a favorite story. As the family passed a farmer just sowing his wheat field, Mary tells him that if anyone asks about them he should tell them they passed this way when I was sowing this wheat.  Mary could not lie and would not ask anyone else to do so. Overnight the wheat grew tall and the next day when the soldiers of Herod asked, the farmer, who was harvesting his wheat could answer truthfully, they passed here when I was sowing this wheat.

Happy Epiphany to all, and  May 2021 bring you health and peace.

Beverly Hall Smith was a professor of art history for 40 years.  Since retiring with her husband Kurt to Chestertown six years ago, she has taught art history classes at WC-ALL and Chesapeake College’s Institute for Adult Learning.  She is also an artist whose work is sometimes in exhibitions at Chestertown RiverArts and she paints sets for the Garfield Center for the Arts.