The Nativity of Christ as depicted in art

People in poetry and art are only productive as long as they are religious 1 Our age, which has sinned so much in what the apostle calls being carried away by the “winds of doctrine,” at the same time, perhaps more than others, has worked on the development of religious consciousness in the Christian world. In at least one respect this is undeniable, and in an extremely important respect, namely, in the study of the earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ. No other age can boast of such diligence in the study of this deeply important area of ​​​​theological knowledge, and never before has such an almost immense literature appeared in a relatively short period of time, which our age can fully boast about in relation to this subject. Of course, among this literature there are works whose task was not at all that which alone can fully correspond to the deepest request of the human spirit, namely not the desire to better know our Lord through a thorough study of all the circumstances of His earthly life, but the desire to remove the divine aura from the head of the God-man; but these works did not remain without contributing their share to this deeply important movement, since they served as the main incentives for theological science to undertake a positive study of the life of the Lord Christ with such unprecedented zeal. From this side, it is obvious that negative literature, like any negative evil, has served a good service in the general economy, greatly contributing to the awakening of good forces that were dormant in inactivity. Without the notorious works of Strauss and Renan, one would hardly have expected that enormous rise of theological forces in the fight against unbelief and denial, which produced the richest literature on the study of the earthly life of Jesus Christ - literature, in comparison with which negative works drown like drops in the sea. But next to science, art has hardly done less work in this field. These are two sisters, daughters of the same spirit, and they always work together, although with different tools. What science produces through its research and embodies in literature, the same art embodies in artistic images, and this close connection between them explains the undoubted fact that the same trends have the same effect both in the field of science and in the field of art. When, for example, in the Middle Ages, science was completely subordinate to theology, so that even “philosophy was the handmaiden of theology,” then art bore the indelible imprint of this predominance of religion, so that all its best works were precisely in the field of church-religious life and bore the imprint of sublime spirituality, that embodiment of the infinite in the finite, which is especially distinguished by medieval art. And then, when science forged new paths of research for itself, when new areas of immense knowledge in the natural world opened up before it, then art began to depict this very world, as a result of which its very tone lowered, especially since artists had a desire to squeeze everything divine and infinite into the limits of the human and finite. This explains the crude realism that has repeatedly made itself felt in the latest works of art, both foreign and Russian, in the field of religion (in the works of Vereshchagin, Ge, Repin, etc.). But this artistic realism, as the fruit of a temporary infatuation with the “winds of teaching,” of course, can count even less on the right of citizenship in art than in science, since for art to be a slave to such realism means to abandon its own purpose and become in contradiction with itself. Therefore, sooner or later it will throw off this temporary yoke and again, resurrected in spirit, will enter the realm of free creativity, for which the divine and infinite are precisely the ideal of reproducing the human and finite. And then it is precisely this that will find its highest inspiration in that divine life which... used to inspire brilliant artists, making their name famous throughout the Christian world. The art of painting has long been, one might say since the very advent of Christianity, devoted itself to the service of religion, and with special zeal it reproduced the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ, rightly seeing in it a divine model for the life of all people. At first, however, it approached this subject with great caution, and since in the pagan world it was tainted by serving all the abominations of pagan idols and the absurdities of pagan mythologies, it did not even dare to directly reproduce the images of the divine Redeemer and reproduced Him under various symbolic forms - a lamb, a fish, an anchor, etc. But later, when paganism had already lost its strength, and its influence on art weakened, then the latter, having been cleansed of the satiety of sensuality and inspired by a new spirit, began to depict the God-man and all the circumstances of His life under direct, real forms, especially since the Church itself sanctified this use of art, allowing it as an integral part of its sacred rites. Since that time, art has worked tirelessly to reproduce all the most important events from the earthly life of the Lord Christ, and this service to his cause of the Gospel can be evidenced by the attached sketch of the most important works (mainly medieval art) from the history of the birth and adolescence of Jesus Christ. 2 I. The birth of the Savior in the depiction of art It is hardly possible to imagine an event that could serve as a richer source of artistic inspiration than the event of the Nativity of Christ, with the miraculous circumstances that accompanied it. Christmas itself, as the realization of the mystery of the incarnation of the Infinite God, in which art finds the ideal for its creativity, represented the richest source of inspiration, and therefore both this very event and all the circumstances that accompanied it naturally suggest themselves to the artist’s brush. All these events - the birth of the King of the universe in a wretched cave or cattle stall, the position of the Inconceivable One in a manger, the singing of angels who at midnight announced to sleeping humanity the birth of the Savior of the world, the worship of Him by wretched shepherds, the arrival of noble wise men from the east with gifts to the newborn King of the Jews, and finally, the wrath of Herod, who killed thousands innocent babies, flight to Egypt - all these and other events as a result of this have long amazed the imagination of artists, who sought to embody them in the corresponding images of their art. We will note the most important of these images, both in ancient and later times. The first traces of reproducing the events and circumstances of the Nativity of Christ are found in the catacombs, and the image presented here (Fig. 1) is, in all likelihood, the most ancient of them. On it we see the image of the Mother of God - with a serious face and a halo surrounding her head - and in front of her is a swaddled Baby in a manger, similar to a bench, and next to Him are the heads of animals - an ox and a donkey, which are then made traditional accessories of this type of image and are almost invariably repeated in all further reproductions of this event. In this image, the very room in which the great event took place is not visible. But in further images there are attempts on the part of the artists to define the room itself. According to an ancient legend, which found authoritative confirmation in the testimony of Blessed Jerome, the Nativity of Christ took place in a cave that also served as a stable for animals. But the most ancient artists in this regard already began to deviate from this tradition early and usually depicted the scene of the Nativity of Christ in a poor hut built by human hands. True, at the same time they connected this scene with the worship of the Magi, who, according to the Gospel narrative, found the Child and His Mother already “in the house.” This is, for example, the image on an engraved stone from the Vettari Museum, where, next to the usual setting (two animals), a star is depicted shining on the Child. 3 The very event of the Nativity of Christ was so joyful that the central thought when depicting it in art was precisely the feeling of jubilation and joy, which in the Middle Ages found expression in a special religious song, which was then as popular in the West as Jakopson’s song about the suffering of the Savior that later replaced it. All ancient artists in their religious images tried to express the same idea, which the unknown poet expressed in the following words: Laetabundam: et ferventem Pertransivit: jubilus.:: 4 : In general, the ancient artists brought little variety to this image, and in their paintings we always meet the same thing - the jubilant Mother of God, sitting by the swaddled and lying in the manger of the Divine Infant, the serious righteous Joseph, immersed in self-reflection, the shepherds with an expression of surprised reverence in their faces and above - angels singing their solemn hymn: “Glory to God in the highest, and There is peace on earth and good will toward men.” Always at the same time, an ox and a donkey are also introduced, in accordance with the Greek text, of the famous verse of the prophet Habakkuk ἐν μέσῳ δύο ζώων γνωσϑήση - “among two animals you will be known” 5 This last feature was so deeply imprinted in the consciousness that it found expression in the well-known Pistor's Latin poem "On the Nativity of the Lord", which says the following: Puer: natus in Bethlehem, Hi: from: jacet in praesepio Quod puer erat Dominus.: 6 “A Child was born in Bethlehem, Who reigns without limit. The artistic treatment of the legend of the Nativity of Christ in this tone continued almost without any changes until the 14th century. Of the artists of this kind, Orcagna stands out, whose painting is simply a reproduction of the Gospel story of the Nativity of Christ for those who could not read; Giotto, who shows signs of naturalism, i.e. the desire to introduce into this story the features of purely human conditions of life. A more artistic treatment of this plot developed gradually. Masolipo da Papicale depicts a rock in the crevice of which shepherds, according to legend, usually found refuge from storms, and this rock began to appear frequently in artistic depictions. Paula and Eustochia, companions of Blessed Jerome on his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, in their letter from Bethlehem to Rome to Marcella say: “In the gorge of the rock was born the Creator of the firmament.” The pious imagination of the artist has decorated this rock, and the rock blooms like a spring tree to receive the Lord of life. The youth John the Baptist is also present with a cross made of a reed cane. The Ever-Virgin kneels with her hands folded in prayer before her deity. Son. In heaven one can see the open arms of God the Father and the Holy Spirit emanating in the form of a dove, accompanied by two angels. 7 In the church of St. Mark, in Venice, there is a good representation of the Nativity by Angelico, who reproduces it with his characteristic simplicity and heavenly charm. But the most remarkable series of artistic works begins with the painting of Piero della Francesca (in the British National Gallery). This artist's painting is full of originality and charm. The newborn Christ lies on a pillow among flowers, raising his small hands. At His feet, kneeling in prayer, stands the Blessed Virgin Mary in divine simplicity. Behind her, righteous Joseph sits on the saddle, hugging his knee with his hands, and behind them stand shepherds, one of whom points to the sky. Further on you can see the ruins of a barn, on the roof of which, overgrown with grass, sits a magpie. 8 To the right is a city, and to the left is a valley with rocks and trees. Birds can be seen here and there across the landscape. Between the barn and the Child stands a group of angels with musical instruments in their hands. Like angels, they cast no shadows, but open their mouths like singers and rattle their fingers on their instruments. Between the angels and the Ever-Virgin, an ox stands and looks at the Baby, and over the shoulder of one of them, a donkey raises its head, which apparently lets out a cry of surprise. “In its colors,” says one critic, “this is a completely original picture - with its delicate tints of soft blue colors, with its brown and gray tones. There is no aerial perspective in it, but the picture is a collection of meticulous sketches. Even the pearls on the clothes of the Ever-Virgin and the angels are carefully decorated. The whole production is fresh and charming, and yet religious, because the painter decided to embody his feeling in the forms of his experience." 9 A small painting by Sandro Botticelli (in the British National Gallery) is very remarkable in its design and execution. This is like a whole Christmas sermon, with the goal of depicting in colors the results that were produced by the birth of the Savior in heaven, on earth and under the earth, and to clarify the very meaning of the Incarnation, by virtue of which God was reconciled with sinful people and man became less than lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor. The upper part of the picture depicts the sky, the delicate colors of which gradually thicken, approaching the earth's horizon. In heaven, angels dressed in dresses of the most delicate colors rejoice, “jump and play” in religious delight. Their wings, like their clothes, change in color, varying between red, green and white. In the hands of each of them is an olive and laurel branch and a scroll with the inscription: “Gloria in Excelsis Deo, from which hangs a light golden crown. The faces of some of them are turned to heaven and reflect the radiance of the beatific vision, while others look at the earth and in their pious gaze the words seem to be read: et in terris pax, hominibus bonae voluntatis (and on earth there is peace, good will among men). Just below them is a dark grove - Dante's symbol of the tangled forest of human life. But among the gloomy forest, on a mass of white rock - a symbol of the purity and unshakable strength of the Gospel - stands the Bethlehem cattle stable. On the roofs of this stall or shed, three angels, one of whom is in red clothes - the angel of love, in white - the angel of innocence and in green - the angel of hope, are singing a praise. And on the floor in the stall lies the divine Child, in all the joy of childhood, who, raising the finger of one hand to his lips, seems to say: “I am the Word of God.” The Most Holy Mary kneels at His feet, and at the head, leaning on the saddle in deep self-humiliation, the righteous Joseph sits bent, covering his face with a cloak. Behind him are an ox, a donkey and a manger - as a sign that even the Heavenly Father cares about animals. On the sides of the stall are depicted three wise men and three shepherds, representing all of humanity - both Jews and pagans, in all ages and positions, and they are led to the newborn Christ by angels, who crown their heads with Maslenitsa branches - a symbol of fruitfulness, peace and joy. Below them, three pairs of figures joyfully embrace each other, and three bright angels, with the inscription on their scrolls: “Goodwill in men,” embrace a young man, an old man and a mature man as a sign that heaven and earth, reconciled by the birth of the Redeemer, rushed to reunite after a long separation. At the very bottom of the picture there are devils, small and ugly, in a frightened state, trying to hide in the gorges, and thus, as a whole, the picture depicts the influence of the Nativity of Christ on the good and evil forces of the world. There is a poor Greek inscription at the top indicating that the painting was painted in 1500. in the darkest period of Italy, when apparently all the disasters predicted in the Apocalypse were being carried out over it. In general, all of Botticelli’s paintings resonate with a tone of deep sadness, which makes itself felt even in the depiction of jubilation. The accompanying image of the Nativity of Christ by Antonio Rossellino was written somewhat in the same spirit, although with more distinct features of a naturalistic direction. The main figure on it is the Mother of God, with folded hands prayerfully and reverently standing over the Infant God, who in all the cheerfulness of infancy lies on the pillow, raising a finger to his lips as a sign that He is the Word of God. Behind the Mother of God on the left stands the righteous Joseph, thoughtfully, and behind him an ox and a donkey, emerging from the stall. On the right is a high mountain, as if separating the Old Testament from the New, and behind it is a shepherd with his flock, looking up in surprise at an angel descending from heaven. Other shepherds are already going to the Infant God to worship. The entire image is surrounded by cherubs, which, alternating with stars, form, as it were, a heavenly halo for the Infant God. Antonio Rosseliano. Rice. 2 The Nativity was also a favorite subject for the gentle, pious Lorenzo di Credi (born 1456). His best and most important work is in the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. In him, the Infant of God, pointing his finger at his mouth (as was the custom among painters of this school), lies not on a pillow, but on clothes thrown on a sheaf of wheat as a sign that He is the bread of life. On the left is a shepherd kneeling, performing worship; Behind the Infant God stands another shepherd, with an air of awe and surprise. The third shepherd, a handsome young man with an intelligent face, brings a lamb. On the right, the Blessed Virgin prays with an expression of sadness and humility. On both sides of her, young angels are kneeling, and the other two are quietly whispering to each other, with one of them, pointing his finger to the sky, as if saying: “this Baby is the Son of God.” Righteous Joseph, leaning on his staff, looks thoughtfully at this whole scene. This painting reveals a lack of originality, reminiscent in its details of similar paintings by other artists of his time (Leonardo, Perugino, Luini, etc.), but in general it amazes with the harmony of its composition, variety of expression and deep sincerity of feeling. Lorenzo was not then carried away by such whirlwinds of inspiration and passion as was the case with Michelangelo. Everything about him is immersed in a bright and calm silence. This is a sure sign of inner greatness. “The great works which God inspires in the hearts of his creatures,” says Bossuet, “naturally produce silence, delight, and something inexplicably divine that suppresses all expression.” Around the same time, Ambrogio Borgognone worked a lot in Milan and Padua. He has a beautiful painting of the Nativity of Christ in the Church of St. Celsus in Milan. In it, the Mother of God kneels behind the Infant God, blessing the author of the picture himself. On both sides of the Mother of God stand St. John and St. Roch - serious noble figures. Two little angels kneel on the ground, and the other three are in heaven. He also has a painting in Dresden, in which the Mother of God, dressed in a long white dress with gold embroidery, under the crown of the word Rach (“Peace”), has an expression of deepest sadness, although above the Heavenly Father appears in all his glory in a cloud of angels with scrolls on which the words are visible: Gloria in excelsis. Borgognone was a man of refined nature and strong religious feeling. The depiction of divine or secular figures in calm silence or selfless suffering best suited his temperament. Further, the colors themselves correspond to this prevailing feeling; the gray pallor of his faces is only occasionally modified by eyelids reddened by grief. Nothing could be more touching and beautiful than the type and character of some of his most beautiful faces. In a completely different spirit, as one might expect, is Luca Signorelli's painting of the Nativity (in the British National Gallery); This is an attractive and, despite its brown coloring, a magnificent picture in which the author tries to immediately tell the whole story of the Nativity of Christ according to the Gospel of Luke. A naked baby lies on a pillow. The kneeling Mother of God is dressed in a dress of blue and green, the colors of heaven and hope. On the right sits the righteous Joseph in a red and orange robe. Behind them are three shining angels with wings glittering with gold and multi-colored paints. On the left are two kneeling shepherds, behind whom stand others, and all of them are extremely amazed by the heavenly vision. One of the shepherds has taken refuge in a cave, where he sits playing a flute, crowned with ivy like a young Greek god (an obvious echo of the ancient world). Their faces can hardly be called pious or tender, but one cannot help but recognize the subtlest human beauty in the tanned shepherd in a straw hat and in his young companion. On both sides of the Ever-Virgin are fair-haired angels, one of whom looks somewhat affectedly from behind the shoulders of the Most Holy Mary. There is a beautiful picture of the Nativity in Bologna, France. It was painted at the request of Anton Bentivoglio, a knight of the red cross, who himself is depicted praying among shepherds. On the right stand a bishop in a miter and two saints, and in the middle, kneeling with a blissfully radiant face, the Blessed Virgin stands in a position of prayer. The peculiarity of this picture lies in the intensity of the concentration with which every thought and every glance is directed at the radiant Infant of God, lying on a small bed in the midst of everyone. Next to Him, two birds are singing, sitting on a bush sticking out of a crevice in the rock. The painting of the Nativity by Tintoretto in the “School of St. Rocco” is distinguished by great originality. The event is depicted at the top of the stall; an ox and a donkey are below, and next to them is a peacock. The rooster is rummaging in the straw. The Divine Infant lies in a kind of wicker cradle, and the Ever-Virgin lifts the veil to show her Son to a group of tender village shepherds. The face of the Ever-Virgin is one of the most beautiful among Tintoretto’s images. A completely unique phenomenon, not in the best sense of the word, is the painting of the Nativity by Bernardo Cavallino (†1654), also not of a particularly high Neapolitan school. He was an eclectic and naturalist who committed suicide at the age of 31 from drunkenness. Of course, one cannot expect a noble treatment of such a sublime subject from painters of such schools. Only a low-flying artist could humiliate his theme by introducing such detail as a white dog lunging at a patient ox at a manger. The painter probably did not even suspect how he betrayed his inner state with this detail and humiliated his own painting. It shows how dangerous it is to turn the greatest event in the world into a simple plot for the manifestation of the style and originality of the artist, and therefore his painting became a simple decoration and an appendage of furniture in the house of his patron. More could be expected from Mazzolin (†1528), that “glowing worm,” as he was called, from the learned and noble school of Ferrara. But he also sinned with this impermissible vulgarity, and in his painting depicting the Holy Family, little John the Baptist, introduced into the picture, instead of being completely reverently immersed in the event that had taken place, is busy protecting the cat from being persecuted by a tame monkey! Finally, let us note the wonderful picture of Dürer's Nativity, as a representative of the German school. In this picture, according to the custom of all medieval paintings, the ruins of a barn are presented. On the right are two elderly shepherds kneeling, one of whom has an expression of awe on his face. A large star shines above the tree they are standing in front of. Through the destroyed arch in the distance one can see the angel of good news, who appeared to the shepherds when they were guarding their flocks at night. On the left, with a face full of joy, stands the elderly Joseph with a lantern in his hand. Just in the center of the picture there is a wicker with straw laid in it, and in it lies the newborn God-infant, stretching out his right hand to his Most Holy Mother the Virgin. She kneels in front of the cradle, folding her arms crosswise on her chest in tenderness. Behind the cradle, kneeling, is a pretty baby angel, who with boundless care and tenderness bends over the Baby, the Savior of the world. It is difficult to describe all the charm of this small painting in all its unconditional beauty and perfection of design and execution. The Adoration of the Shepherds and the Adoration of the Magi among medieval painters are often developed together with the depiction of the Nativity of Christ, and therefore we will say a little about them separately. Of these subjects the first was less favoured, because it gave less scope for brilliance and variety. The central idea in the best artistic development of this subject is usually the desire to illustrate the rewards and bliss awaiting all humble believers. 10 In ancient Christian art, the “Adoration of the Shepherds,” and as in Botticelli’s painting of the Nativity, is often combined with the “Adoration of the Magi.” The latter was an extremely common theme, as can be seen from the many images presented by Fleury; Meanwhile, regarding the first, it is difficult to almost indicate where it is depicted separately. Hardly any painter has treated this subject with greater beauty than Lorenzo Lotto, to whom even the evil Pietro Aretino cried out: “O Lotto, good as kindness itself and virtuous as virtue itself!” His painting is located in his native Bergamo, where only his true greatness can be seen. 11 In this picture, one of the shepherds has brought a lamb and is holding it in front of the Christ Child. The Lamb knelt on his front knees and apparently looks with a feeling of surprise and love, and the golden-headed Child raises his white hands to the innocent creature to hug him around the neck. Behind this shepherd stands a large angel with blue outstretched wings, with his hand holding the shepherd’s rough cloak, and the second angel puts his hand on the shoulder of another shepherd. The Blessed Virgin, a magnificent figure of red, blue and white flowers, kneels with reverence before the Child, who lies partly on a blue robe, and partly in a wicker cloth with green grass spread on it. Lotto was a student of Bellini and a friend of Titian. In the impeccable purity of his art he resembles Luini, and in the quiet self-conclusion and seclusion of his monastic life he resembles Fra Angelico. He died as a pensioner of a charitable institution that he himself founded. In 1548, Aretino wrote about this pure soul: “Your heart knows no envy; on the contrary, you feel pleasure at the sight of the beauties of other maestros, which beauties, as it seems to you, you do not possess... If you do not surpass them in painting, you leave them far behind in the matter of true piety. Heaven has prepared for you a glory that cannot be compared with the praise of men.” 12 Romanino also depicts the worship of shepherds in Brescia, and it is distinguished by the art and grace characteristic of this painter. The Blessed Virgin is dressed in a magnificent dress of white shiny satin with gold trim over a red tunic. She worships the newborn Baby lying on white satin. A shepherd leans over him with outstretched hands, and cherubs flutter above. Rembrandt's remarkable painting "The Adoration of the Shepherds", painted in 1646, impresses us much more with the brightness of light and shadow than with the sacred motif itself. Like in the famous painting. Correggio La Nette in the Dresden Gallery, all the light in the picture comes from the Holy Child and this light completely obscures the light of the lantern in the hands of one of the shepherds. Ruskin, perhaps, says too harshly that Rembrandt's goal was “to paint the most vulgar thing that he could see in a quick light”; but in any case, the greatness that belongs to him was not acquired by him as a religious painter. In Correggio’s painting, for example, the central idea is the radiant Child, and in Rembrandt’s “Bible by Lamp” we move, as Gaslitt says, “from one abyss of obscurity to another,” and see nothing except flickering and shadows. Rembrandt “artistically, in any case, loved darkness more than light.” Velasquez also has an image of this object, and it is a naturalistic and somewhat vulgar picture. A shepherd - a villager of the most ordinary type - brought a lamb and poultry, and some boy offered his animals to the Christ Child. All this is far from sublime religious poetry. “No Virgin,” Ford rightly says, “entered Velasquez’s studio, and no cherubs fluttered around his palette. He worked not for sacred or ecstatic hermits, but for feathered kings and armored knights; hence the negligence and even partly the failure of his religious and mythological paintings - moreover, his religious paintings, like the paintings of Correggio, are religious only in name; his groups are taken too much from low life, and all this is depicted so truthfully that this very image, which is not in harmony with the sublimity of the subject, darkens all higher feelings even more.” Correggio's most famous painting is La Notte, located in the Dresden Gallery. It is distinguished by all its characteristic beauty and undeniably charming skill in the use of colors, the softness of light and the richness of technical skill. The light emanating from the Divine Child lying on the straw in the manger illuminates the blissfully smiling face of the Blessed Virgin and blinds the eyes of the humble shepherdess who brought a pair of turtle doves. 13 The poor old shepherd is ready to cover his face with his cloak, and the brilliant youth next to him turns away in rapturous surprise. Behind the Blessed Virgin, Joseph ties a donkey, and in heaven a group of angels of extraordinary beauty sing a holy Christmas hymn. Correggio was a man of somewhat morbid irritability, and he felt himself in his sphere, as has been quite rightly noted about him, among pagan or semi-pagan objects, which provide room rather for a certain intoxication of sensual joy than for the raptures of divine love. His Holy Virgin comes out too tender, and his angels resemble the shining geniuses of paganism. “Is it possible to recognize the Forerunner,” asks Gruet, examining another of his paintings in the Dresden gallery, “in this Ephebe, shining with happiness, who looks at the viewer with such enthusiasm? Is it the Blessed Virgin, finally, this lovely woman who, with such sweet languor, responds to the admiring glances of her admirers? The delightful tenderness of his angels and his saints is much more consistent with that critical state when piety itself provided an example of such sensitivity, such, one might say, religious sensuality.” “When a people has reached its culmination,” says Morelli, “we see everywhere in everyday life, as in literature and art, that beauty begins to be valued above character. This was how it was in Italy in the last decades of the 15th and early 16th centuries.” 14 The accompanying photograph from the beautiful painting of Fiorenzo di Lorenzo, from the picture gallery in Perugio, may show the difference in mood that separates the Perugian painters of the 15th century from the Parma painters of the 16th century. Adoration of the Shepherds - Correggio. Rice. 4. Adoration of the Magi. Rice. 6. The worship of the Magi also early became the subject of artistic depictions, and we present here one of the earliest and, moreover, a very interesting example of this kind. This is a photograph from the magnificent tomb of Exarch Isaac in the Church of St. Vital in Ravenna. It dates from the 6th century, and the figures on it still retain something of the grace of antiquity. 15 The Magi, according to custom, have Phrygian caps on their heads, they are dressed in short tunics, flowing cloaks and apachyrids (harem pants), each in his hand holding a bowl with gifts intended to be presented to the Divine Infant. The Baby himself sits on the lap of his Mother, behind whom a mysterious eastern star shines. The sole purpose of ancient Christian artists was to reproduce this event in all its complete simplicity. Adoration of the Magi. Rice. 8. In subsequent times, the scene of the worship of the Magi was furnished more and more majesticly. The Magi themselves are elevated to the “kings of the East” and are types of paganism, wealth and humanity in its three periods - youth, manhood and old age. Apocryphal Gospels and Eastern tales are also brought into the picture. 16 The eldest of these “star-guided lords” is the old man Gaspard with a long silver beard. Belshazzar was a man in the full bloom of his life, and Melchior was a beautiful young man. Often they also depict the three races of the human race - Shem, Ham and Japheth. The richness and grace of the accessories involved, the depth of symbolism and the variety of development allowed by the subject were the natural reasons why this subject became one of the most beloved themes of religious art. 1) The adoration of the Magi forms the subject of one of Fabriano’s paintings. This painting, located in Florence, is a truly brilliant work, not only rich and vibrant, but also full of feeling. The details in it are superb. The whole picture is distinguished by its extraordinary completeness. The hand of the Infant Christ, resting on the bald head of an old sorcerer with a white beard, who bows with extraordinary humility to kiss the foot of the Infant God, is a kind of miracle of grace, dignity and pathos. 17 2) A very prominent place among paintings of this kind is undoubtedly occupied by a painting by the artist of the Venetian school, Paolo Veronese. The picture of the latter was painted in 1573. and Veronese often returned to this subject, which gave wide scope for his bold and brilliance-loving genius. His painting depicts a ruined building of Roman architecture with columns, part of which is covered with reeds and which served as a stable. Under the roof of this canopy, on the right side of the viewer, the Blessed Virgin sits on a certain elevation, holding in her arms the Child, who receives worship from three eastern sages. The first of them kneels before Him, the second stands in the same position behind Him, and on the left side in relation to the viewer stands the third sorcerer. A ray of light, in which several winged cherubs flutter, falls on the Child; and above you can see a group of babies - angels. Behind the Magi stands their retinue, some bringing gifts, while others look after the horses and camels. Several villagers are looking at the Divine Infant, and on the right you can see someone else’s figure with several dogs. An ox and a donkey are standing right there; in front of the Child is a lamb, which apparently represents an offering from the shepherd. 18 3) An extremely elegant work is a painting by Durer. The Blessed Virgin, slightly bowing her head to the side (as we often see in Durer’s paintings), sits leaning against the broken stone of the wall of some destroyed building. Her face is filled with joy. The Divine Child of extreme beauty stretches out his hands to the old gray-haired sorcerer, who kneels and bows his head before Him with folded hands and an expression of blissful surprise on his face. He presented his gifts, which are held by Joseph, who is looking at this scene over the shoulder of the Blessed Virgin. The second magician holds the cup he is offering as a gift, but stops to wait for the third, who holds his feathered helmet in his hands and kneels, but is apparently too overcome with fear to come closer. This sorcerer is an Ethiopian, although his face is white. In the distance, on one side, along with other members of the retinue, a man holds some kind of offering in his hands. On the other side are two shepherds. A mysterious star sparkles in the sky above and three baby angels sing: “Glory to God in the highest.” One of the oxen, whose head pokes out from behind the fence, gently rubs its head against the elderly Joseph, and his eyes look so solemnly, as if he, too, had partly understood the Divine mystery that had taken place before him. Dürer also painted another interesting painting in 1500 for Frederick the Wise, which is equally remarkable, although it has a different composition. 4) But perhaps there is no more noble painting of the “Adoration of the Magi” than the frescoes of Bernardino Luini in Saronno. The beautiful, humble Ever-Virgin leans on the wall of the manger, and an ox and a donkey are visible behind. The Divine Child holds the edge of her veil with his left hand. His right hand blesses the majestic old man, the sorcerer, in luxurious clothes with a golden chain, whose sword and turban are held by a handsome young man. Behind this old man stands young Melchior, who is depicted as a handsome Ethiopian; on the other side, Belshazzar kneels and offers his gifts. One of the retinue shades his eyes from the star that shines above the roof. Other members of the retinue approach the hillside, leading the spears, camels and giraffe. In heaven, choirs of beautiful baby angels sing the Christmas carol. 5) The Adoration of the Magi is the best work among the paintings of Domenico Ghirlandaio, in Florence. The young man serving with the cup on the right side of the Blessed Virgin is especially beautiful. The elderly Gaspard takes the small foot of the Divine Child in his large hand and kisses it, while the Most Holy Mary raises her hand in bewilderment. In the distance, on both sides of the landscape, there are shepherds looking in surprise at the Angel who appeared to them, as well as an image of the massacre of infants. This picture was painted in 1488. and its most remarkable feature is the depiction of two extremely natural-looking little children - next to John the Baptist on one side and John the Evangelist on the other. 6) Tintoretto’s painting is also very remarkable, striking with a wonderful manifestation of his artistic power and talent. The whole picture represents one big star, the center of which is Christ. All the figures, even the beams and roofs, radiate, and on the small light figure, over which everyone bows their faces, angels flutter, and the star itself, shining above through the beams, is already a completely secondary object. Two doves, as the main points of light on the front side of the painting, remind the viewer of the poverty of the Blessed Mother of the Child, who receives offerings and worship from the three kings. Nothing can be at the same time more humble and majestic than the posture of the kings, and at the same time, the reality of the Mother of God is extremely interesting when she, stepping forward, raises her hand in surprise and delight at the golden vase that has just been placed in front of the Child, although she does all this with such grace and calmness that her dignity is not at all violated by the simplicity of this action. 7) This series of artistic images of medieval painters can be concluded as their latest echo - a very good image of the “Adoration of the Magi”, which Bourne-Jones, an English artist, gives in his watercolor painting “The Star of Bethlehem”. The low barn depicted on it is the most ordinary building of this kind, but it stands in a flower garden with lilies and other flowers, as a sign that with the Coming of Christ the desert flourished like a rose. Somewhat behind, having thrown a veil over his head, stands Righteous Joseph, who has collected an armful of thin firewood. With an extremely pleasant face, the Blessed Virgin sits on a heap of straw and holds on her lap the Divine Child, who has turned his head to look at the approaching Magi. They are led by an angel whose head is crowned with flowers and in whose hand is a star. Gaspar, the eldest of the three kings, presents a jeweled box. At his feet lies his crown among flowers. Melchior standing behind him has a helmet on his head and is dressed in shiny armor with a wide sword in a rich sheath; his golden crown is in his left hand, Belshazzar, the third magician, in a magnificent robe with luxurious embroidery, holds his offerings in his hands; the eyes of all three Magi are intensely fixed on the Divine Child. All of them, individually and collectively, are handled with remarkable grace, and the self-abasement of wealth and strength before the feeble grandeur of the powerless Mother and Child has never found truer or more beautiful expression. Thus we see with what enthusiastic reverence (with very few and, moreover, unfortunate exceptions) the ministers of medieval art developed the sublime subject of the Nativity of Christ with its accompanying circumstances and how much true religious poetry they showed in their wonderful paintings. They fully justify the subtle remark of the “king of poets” Goethe, who said that people are creative only as long as they are religious. This applies equally to all areas of art. The same tone of high religious poetry was maintained by medieval artists in the field of depicting “the infancy and adolescence of Jesus Christ,” which will be discussed in the next book. “Dio Menschen sind in Poesie und Kunst nur so lange productiv, als sie religiös Bind.” Goèthe We use in this case the work of Canon Farrar “The Life of Christ as represented in art”, London 1694. See Martigny, Dictionnaire des Antiquités chrétiennes under the word Nitivity, and also in the study of Prof. N.V. Pokrovsky: “The Gospel in iconographic monuments” p. 50 et seq. “The beautiful Mother stood, rejoicing near the manger with hay, where the Baby lay, whose joyful soul, inflamed with jubilation, was seized by solemn delight.” The same meaning is preserved in Vetus Itala: in medio duorum animalium innotesceris. Unfortunately, in the Russian synodal text this meaning is completely lost, and this verse is read in accordance with the Masoretic as follows: “Complete Your work among the years, among the years reveal it,” Habak. III, 2. Pistor, De Nativit. Domini. This painting is in Florence, at the Academy of Arts. This kind of dilapidated barn is often found in the paintings of medieval painters who wanted to depict this symbol of the destruction of the Old Testament economy. M onkhouse, The Italian Pre-Raphaelites, p.40. Fleury says: “in Rome and in the West they were usually occupied with shepherds; while the Magi constantly appear in the Christian monuments of the first time.” In the very few depictions of this subject, Jesus Christ is always pannis involutes (wrapped in rags) like an Italian child. The reader will be interested to see the only example known to Fleury of the worship of shepherds without the Magi. It is taken from a bas-relief in the Lateran, and dates back to the 4th century. The shepherd, identified by his pedum (staff), is led by an angel. It is located in Palazzo Martinengo. For Lotto, see Lanji, p.142. Pio, who especially admired the mystical school, paid great attention to this incomparable, remarkable painter, whose impressionable genius bears traces of various influences and reveals similarities with Correggio. Correggio in this regard followed the stories of the apocryphal gospels: “And so everything was filled with a light more beautiful than the radiance of lamps and candles and brighter than the light of the sun” 1 The artist, of course, is a son of his time, but it is bad for him if at the same time he is his pupil or even his darling.” Schiller. There is also another ancient image on an ancient tomb given by Fleury, in his L’Evangile Pl. XX. Fig.2; and another in the cemetery of St. Peter and Marcellina, given by Lafenestre. Monk John Hildesheim, who died in 1379. wrote “The History of the Three Kings *, - Historic Trium Regum, - printed by Vinkin de Worde in 1499. He says that the Magi were, “kings of India, Chaldea and Persia.” Melchior was the king of India, Belshazzar was the king of Gedaliah and Arabia, Jasper was the king of Tarshish and he was “majestic in stature and without a doubt was a black Ethiopian.” “He was the first of the unbelievers to believe in Christ.” Venerable Bede says: “The Magi mean the three parts of the world - Asia, Africa and Europe.” According to legend, one of them was 60 years old, another 40, and the third 20 years old. Their names first appear in church history in 1179. In this painting, as you know, the Magi are portraits of Titian, Raphael and Michelangelo. It is interesting to note that in Botticelli’s painting (not one of his best works) the old magician is a portrait of Cosma de’ Medici, and the other two are portraits of Giuliano (who died in 1616) and Giovani (Leo X). Paolo Veronese painted this subject at least 4 times, and Rubens at least 6 times.