Artwork
Nativity of Christ
Nativity of Christ is a tempera painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Simone dei Crocifissi. It dates from 1390 and is held in the collection of the Uffizi Gallery. Created around 1380, this tempera panel depicts the birth of Christ within a modest stable.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1380, this tempera panel depicts the birth of Christ within a modest stable. The composition centers on a mother in blue cradling the infant, accompanied by a male figure in red and blue, while an ox and donkey occupy the foreground. A handful of onlookers and ethereal winged figures populate the surrounding space, framing the sacred event.
Subject & Meaning
The work illustrates the traditional Nativity narrative, emphasizing the humility of the setting and the sanctity of the participants. Gold halos crown the principal figures, signaling their divine status, while the inclusion of shepherds and celestial beings underscores the universal acknowledgment of the newborn Messiah.
Technique & Style
Executed in egg tempera with gold leaf, the painting employs vivid pigments and a flattened pictorial space characteristic of late medieval Bolognese art. The figures are rendered with clear outlines and solid color fields, giving the scene a decorative, almost manuscript-like quality that highlights narrative clarity over naturalistic depth.
History & Provenance
Signed simply as "Simon," the piece is attributed to Simone dei Crocifissi during his mature phase, sharing stylistic traits with another Nativity in the Davia Bargellini Collection. It entered the Uffizi Gallery in Florence as the sole surviving 14th‑century Bolognese panel in the museum’s holdings.
Context
The painting reflects the devotional trends of late 14th‑century Italy, where tempera on panel was the dominant medium before the advent of oil. Its iconography aligns with contemporary liturgical practices, and its bright, narrative-driven approach parallels the visual language of illuminated manuscripts and portable devotional objects of the period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Simone di Filippo Benvenuti, known as Simone dei Crocifissi or Simone da Bologna (about 1330 - 1399), was an Italian painter.
The Crucifixion
The Virgin and Saint Elizabeth with the Infant Saint John (casket lid, back); The Four Evangelists with Saint Christopher, Saint Anthony Abbot, Saint Liberius (casket, back)
The Baptism of Christ (casket lid, front); Saint Peter, Saint John the Evangelist, Saint Matthew and Two Unknown Saints (casket, front)
The Crucifixion (centre); The Angel Gabriel and a Saint (left); The Virgin and St James (right)
