DECEMBER MAGNIFICAT: THE ART ESSAY OF THE MONTH Nativity (c. 1400) by Anonymous In 1400, the Duchy of Burgundy was at its zenith, stretching from the Saône River to the North Sea, with fertile lands …More
DECEMBER MAGNIFICAT: THE ART ESSAY OF THE MONTH
Nativity (c. 1400) by Anonymous
In 1400, the Duchy of Burgundy was at its zenith, stretching from the Saône River to the North Sea, with fertile lands and lively mercantile trade. The Burgundian dukes vied with the king of France for power and prestige, and their glittering courts served the finest foods while flaunting the most glamorous fashions. Yet this little panel, one of four pieces produced for the private devotions of Duke Philip the Bold, seems to mock the magnificent repasts and the splendid regalia of the Burgundian court.
The anonymous painter captured a cultural crossroads in this little gem. The gold background and the amorphous gilt mattress of the Virgin reveal a Byzantine influence, yet the craggy rocks and the woven bassinet indicate awareness of the artistic innovations of the Italian proto-Renaissance. The swathe of lapis blue in the upper portion where God the Father looks down on the scene, flanked by faintly traced …More
Nativity (c. 1400) by Anonymous
In 1400, the Duchy of Burgundy was at its zenith, stretching from the Saône River to the North Sea, with fertile lands and lively mercantile trade. The Burgundian dukes vied with the king of France for power and prestige, and their glittering courts served the finest foods while flaunting the most glamorous fashions. Yet this little panel, one of four pieces produced for the private devotions of Duke Philip the Bold, seems to mock the magnificent repasts and the splendid regalia of the Burgundian court.
The anonymous painter captured a cultural crossroads in this little gem. The gold background and the amorphous gilt mattress of the Virgin reveal a Byzantine influence, yet the craggy rocks and the woven bassinet indicate awareness of the artistic innovations of the Italian proto-Renaissance. The swathe of lapis blue in the upper portion where God the Father looks down on the scene, flanked by faintly traced …More
