Evening star., 1920-12-19
Some Famous Nativities.

greater formality the three kings are
introduced out OF their proper time
We have an impersonal statement Of
miracle-the incarnation. Take it
tude.
When this Byzantine composition
passed into the Europe of Roland and
Charlemagne, Of the Crusades and
Mary worship, 1t suffered wonderful
change. 1t became tense. dramatic.
vibrant with awe and with Joy. From
Gothic France Giovanni Pisano got
his chief inspiration, and his marble
Nativity in the museum at Pisa,
fathers. is world away from it in
feeling. All the old Byzantine fea-
lures are here and In their old places.
but how the thing throbs! The mother
with timid joy steals n look at her
Divine Child. The sheep dogs turn
amazed toward the angels; the
angels fairly buttonhole the shep-
herds to get the message told; old
Joseph, with the look and pehsixe-
ness of some stole philosopher. muses.
on the mystery OF his new responsible
ity. Very homely and very noble 10
this Nativity. as a Gothic masterpiece
should be. Giotto's fresco at Padua
(1305) is of like temper; it is more
sedate. and surely influenced by Gio-
vanni'S emotionalism.
The mundane jollity of Christmas
time appears less in the artists than
in the craftsmen. Especially the
Gothic ivory carvers of France pur-
sue the jubilant mood.
A capital little ivory in my own
collection may represent it's delectable
class. Above. the little shepherd bag
piper trips along while chubby angels
give him the glad news. Mary lays
her Babe to rest. Joseph makes an
exultant, almost a hilarious. gesture.
Even the beasts, mot only kneel but.
because the winter night is chilly, lick
the. Christchild's feet, Doubtless the
ivory cutter had heard the old hymn
tell how: - 5s7,.- = - !,
The breath OF both of these p
Warmed for, greater ease
The child " ho.else would freeze.
Certain aspects OF the birth outside
the inn at Bethlehem are open only
to poor folk who have halted for the
night on weary roads. or soldiers who
have marched far to a cold bivouac.
The sprightly worf1men who cut this
ivory about, the time those notable
were singing their, first Christmas
carols knew all about 1t.
Such narrative and detailed accounts
of the nativity lasted through the
middle ages sand renaissance. partly,
one may guess. because they corre-
, men saw in the mystery plays, and.
indeed, these full representations have
rightly held their own till today. But
about the year 400, both in Italy and
the north men wished at once to em-
phasize the divinity of the Christ
child, and also to lend to the old
theme a more tender and concentrated
expression. They took from st. Bona
ventura's "Meditations" and other
devotional texts the lovely invention
q A~A
her own Child. They gave her q now
youth. delicacy and humility. Thus
arose the composition which we may
call an Alteration" It was repeated
without becoming hackneyed from
Norway to Sicily. There is no sweet
altar-piece which Fra Fflippo Lippi
painted for the private chapel OF
Cosimo de Medici. 1t is now an exile
at Berlin. Fra Filippo has pardonably
violated the probabilities by setting
the scene in romantic grove. with
little lodges and water courses.
have seen the like in early spring.
time above Bernard Berenson's villa
at Settignano.
We have the theme of the "adora-
tian" in greater simplicity in a me-
dallfon by Luca della Robbia now at
Paris in the Foulc collection. The
sweet infatuation of young mother
hood is pushed to the limit Of express
sion without overemphasis or senti-
mentality. The swift - radiant an
gels above bear the message. 'Gloria
in Excelsis. which shows that Luca
regarded the scene as nativity. He
and his successor. Andrea, varied the
motive in delightful ways. sometimes
restoring TO the composition St. Jo-
seph and the faithful beasts. The
scene is always in heavenly mo
mans land" of pale blue enamel.
against which the white figures
quietly assert their exquisite exist
ence.r Pearls alike of religious devo-
tion and Of art are these Robbia