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The Mystical Nativity
Painting with extraordinary iconography depicting the scene of the joyful and mystical Nativity of Christ, with angels dancing on the mountain and symbolic figures of saints and twelve angels holding olive branches symbolizing faith, hope, and love. The scene shows the connection between the earthly and heavenly realms, with a terrifying prophecy of the apocalypse expressed in the Greek inscription at the top and motifs of the Last Judgment where demons flee to the underworld.
Portrait of the Creator
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Artist
Sandro Botticelli
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Date of birth and death
c. 1445 – May 17, 1510
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Natinality
Italian
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Style
Early Renaissance
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Significant works
The Birth of Venus, Primavera, Adoration of the Magi, Mystic Nativity, Saint Augustine in His Study
Information about the work
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Year:
1500-1501
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Execution technique:
tempera and oil on canvas
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Location:
National Gallery, London, United Kingdom
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Theme:
religion, Nativity of Christ, apocalypse, mysticism
Internal Narrative and Creative Framework
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Inner Narrative
The painting expresses Botticelli's beliefs about the end times and the occurrence of great falls and the arrival of Christ's thousandth year. It is filled with biblical and apocalyptic symbolism, referring to the reformist ideas of Girolamo Savonarola and the dramatic political and religious situation in contemporary Italy.
The key to interpreting the work
Pay attention to the volumetric figures, symbolism of angels and demons, inscriptions, and the connection of the Nativity scene with the theme of the end of the world. The painting is both a religious and political interpretation of that period.See other works by this artist
The Virgin and Child with Two Angels and St. John the Baptist
- Artist: Sandro Botticelli
- Year: 1470
