To me, this panel by Geertgen tot Sint Jans is one of the most convincing interpretations of the Nativity story. Even those of us who have little or no affinity with Christmas or religion, will probably be touched by the heartfelt intensity expressed in the painting. Along with Mary, and the other creatures in the dilapidated stable, we share in the adoration for the newborn child, who will turn out to be so special.
Light plays a leading role in the conveyance of this feeling. This is true in a compositional way – the concentration of light leads our eye away from the less important elements towards the essence of the painting, the infant Jesus, but its symbolic significance is equally important: the light actually emanates from the newborn, signifying that he will bring light into the darkness, into this earthly vale of tears.
Paintings of the Nativity in this style are typically connected to the devotional movements of late-medieval Europe. In these, the need for intense mysticism went hand in hand with a deep desire to sympathize with the biblical events in a practical, almost physical way. Ideally, the faithful were to personally experience the divine.
Geertgen’s use of illumination as an instrument to create both a compositional and substantial unity is remarkably drastic for the standards of his time, the late fifteenth century. It is even reminiscent of the treatment of light and shadow that we know so well from seventeenth-century baroque art. There is an important difference, however: baroque painters commonly used illumination to create drama, striving for the ultimate visual effect, while Geertgen tot Sint Jans gently invites us to experience this unintelligibly great miracle.
(Text: Maarten Levendig)
Comments