25/12/20 - On December 25th, the Christian community celebrates the birth of Jesus, as it is described in the Bible. Through the centuries, artists experimented different ways to represent, as serene as possible, the extraordinary story of the Virgin Mary giving birth to the savior of men.  

According to the beliefs, tradition indicates that a newborn must be placed in the center of the composition, surrounded by Mary, Joseph, animals and, in some cases, saints, kings and other figures.

Thus, artists from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries paid special attention to the following: 

- Representing the fragility of the newborn while enhancing the marvelous miracle of conception. 

- Painting Joseph in most artworks but always as a secondary figure, in an understanding that he is not the father of the child. 

- Including the shepherds as primary witness. 

- Varying the landscapes: from barns to classic ruins. 

- Adding sometimes the presence of angels watching over the scene. 

For them the subject of Christmas offered a chance for experimentation and became a way to show their abilities and skills (specially for transmitting this mystery in the clearest way possible to viewers).