The Nativity

The Nativity by Maestro Daddesco|Bernardo Daddi

Medium

Tempera on wood, gold ground

Dimensions

Overall, with engaged frame: 11 5/8 × 8 3/8 in. (29.5 × 21.3 cm) Painted surface: 8 1/2 × 6 7/8 in. (21.6 × 17.5 cm)

Classification

Paintings

Department

Robert Lehman Collection

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

Robert Lehman Collection, 1975

Accession Number

1975.1.60

Tags

SheepMadonna and ChildNativityAngels

Art Historical Context

In the intimate glow of its gold ground, *The Nativity* by Bernardoaddi (also known as Daddesco), dating to around 1320–40, captures the sacred moment of Christ's birth. This small tempera panel, measuring just 11⅝ × 8⅜ inches with its frame, was likely created as a private devotional object for a Florentine household or chapel. Daddi, a leading painter in early 14th-century Florence bridged the ornate Gothic style with the emerging naturalism of the Italian Renaissance, drawing inspiration from Giotto's innovative realism. The scene unfolds with the Madonna tenderly cradling the Christ Child...

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