Sunday, January 11, 2009

St Bridget and the Vision of the Nativity

St Bridget and the Vision of the Nativity
by Niccolo di Tommaso
after 1372
Tempera on wood, 44 x 54 cm
Pinacoteca, Vatican

That's Saint Bridget in the lower right having a vision of Jesus's birth. Mary has taken off her cloak and shoes, and given birth to her skinny son. (Um, what's with the trend with baby Jesus having breasts?) Mary and Jesus have matching brown mandorlas to show just how holy they are. Joseph has extraordinarily long fingers.

It's kind of hard to see in this reproduction, but two befuddled shepherds are receiving the news of Jesus's birth in the upper right from one of the many big-nosed angels.

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