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Arts & Craft
Scenes of The Nativity: 13th-17th C.
This month we take a departure from featuring the work of local artists and galleries to present Scenes of The Nativity from the 13th through the 17th centuries. To go straight to The Gallery to see samples of the work on display this month, click here, or on the picture on the right. ... THE
ARTISTS & THEIR MEDIA {in no particular order}: The Subject: The Nativity. The ResultS: From serene through brooding to glorious. WHERE TO SEE THE WORK: Various galleries around the world if you want a first-hand look. ... Otherwise, you can simply peruse this month's DownStreet Gallery. About
The Nativity in Early Christian Art ...
One of the earliest images of the Virgin and Child appears in the Roman catacombs --which were in use primarily from about 100-400 A.D. -- and dates from the 3rd century. The art of the catacombs was primarily decorative, with paintings and stucco reliefs predominating. But such imagery, while appearing sporadically, did not become a dominant motif until the popularity of illuminated manuscripts, especially the breviaries or Books of Hours, many centuries later.
A Book of Hours is essentially a prayer book, set in sequence for the liturgical year, with readings associated with the sequence of 'hours' for each day. These hours were Canonical, part of the earliest monastic traditions and the central part of the Divine Office. They were recited under the breath or sung in choir by all the ordained. Eight in number, they began with the 'Night Hours' of Matins and Lauds, usually taken together and recited between midnight and dawn. These were followed by the 'Day Hours' of Prime, Terce, Sext, and None, and ending with the Evening Hours of Vespers and Compline ... each recited at approximately three-hour intervals. As Christianity grew in influence, lay persons would often commission the illumination of a private Book of Hours for their own use. Among the more popular and beautiful of these are the 14th c. Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, of which we have included an example in this month's Gallery exhibit. Most of the Books followed a set pattern for illuminations -- both for the particular months {usually scenes from medieval peasant life} and for the sequence of hours. It is the Hour of Prime in the Hours of the Virgin which contains The Nativity scene, the third in sequence after The Annunciation and The Visitation, and followed by The Angels Announcement to the Shepherds, The Adoration of the Magi, The Presentation in the Temple, The Flight into Egypt {or The Massacre of the Holy Innocents}, and finally, The Coronation of the Virgin. Each of these, of course, continued to be dominant themes in the primarily religious art right through the Renaissance, and briefly resurrected in the 19th c. by the pre-Raphaelites. For more info on illuminated manuscripts and Books of Hours, see this month's Links to Art & Craft On-Line. Visit the DownStreet Gallery: Of course, the images we offer here cannot compare to the originals. But you can at least see a sample of the work here at the DownStreet Gallery, and get at some idea of the très riche history of this artistic theme. Simply click here. ... .. ******* ******* If you know of any artists or craftsmen/-women whose work you think deserves attention, don't hesitate to let us know. Simply e-mail us at arts@downstreetmagazine.com.
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