Deciphering the ‘mystical nativity’

Monday, December 6, 2010

HERE are fresh thoughts taken from dianeblake.net, on the nativity scene done by an Italian artist.

The “The Mystical Nativity,” painted by Florentine artist Sandro Botticelli, is not only a representation of the birth of Christ but a meaningful reflection of the political and religious unrest that permeated Italian life around his time.

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Around the year 1500, Botticelli, as a resident of Florence in Italy, was iunfluenced by the preaching of Savonarola, a Dominican monk, who was urging the citizens of the city to repent of their ungodly ways and give up their luxuries. It was Savonarola who initiated the “bonfire of the vanities” in 1497 in which Florentines were urged to throw their worldly goods into a fire. During this period of religious fanaticism, there was also political unrest.

The inscription at the top of the “The Mystical Nativity” is written in Greek and says: “This picture I, Allesandro, painted at the end of the year 1500, in the troubles of Italy, in the half-time after the time, during the fulfillment of the eleventh of John, in the second woe of the Apocalypse, when the Devil was loosed for three and a half years. Afterwards he shall be chained according to the twelfth and we shall see him trodden down as in this picture.” It appears that Botticelli believed he was living in the tumultuous times that were predicted in the 11th chapter of the Apocalypse.

The angels at the top of “The Mystical Nativity” are thought to be holding olive branches, traditional symbols of peace, and the three angels positioned on the roof of the stable appear to be reading a book, which is most likely, the Bible. The three sets of embracing men and angels are possibly meant to convey the joyousness of the occasion. Their banners say: “On earth peace to men of goodwill.” The ground is strewn with devilish figures that appear to be bound to poles and “trodden down.”

Although the painting is elaborate, it lacks the ornamentation and richness of Botticelli’s earlier works. The Kings, thought to be to the left of the stable, do not wear royal costumes but simple and somewhat somber garments. Neither Mary nor the infant are dressed in an elaborate fashion.

Mary has an almost flat look as in Byzantine art, maybe indicating her holiness as compared with other individuals in the scene.

Even though experts have unraveled some of the mysteries surrounding the painting, questions remain. Is there significance to the colors of the angels’ wings? Why does Joseph appear to be sleeping? As with many old works of art, the meaning the artist intended to convey is lost in time. But what is clearly seen in “The Mystical Nativity” is an artist’s response to social unrest and upheaval during the time in which he lived.