Nativity

Art Historical Context

Nestled in The Cloisters' collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art this 14th-century stone sculpture titled *Nativity* captures the sacred moment of Christ's birth. Carved from stone and measuring a intimate 8½ x 12½ inches (21.6 x 31.8 cm), it depicts the Virgin Mary tenderly cradling the infant Jesus, a quintessential scene central to Christian iconography. Created by an unknown artist during the late Middle Ages, the work exemplifies the enduring tradition of stone sculpture in Gothic-era France, where durable limestone or similar materials allowed for detailed reliefs that adorned alta...