The fresco “Nativity of Christ” by Giotto di Bondone is the master’s revolutionary approach to the famous biblical motif

The Nativity of Christ was created by Giotto di Bondone around 1305. All the frescoes in the “Scenes from the Life of Christ” series were intended for the chapel. The frescoes were ordered by a member of the knightly order of Gaudenti and a wealthy merchant and Enrico degli Scrovegni. The chapel served as a place of worship and the last refuge for the merchant’s family.

The frescoes of Giotto fill the entire chapel, forming a whole narrative. The chapel and monastery are now part of the city museum.

The fresco “Nativity” by Giotto is one of the most significant works of Giotto. The fresco has a number of innovations: its figures are not stylized and not elongated, they are three-dimensional, they have faces. The formalized drapery with curls is masterfully conveyed, the clothes themselves hang freely and have weight. Another innovation is the figures depicted with their backs to the viewer, which create the illusion of space.

Name of the painting: “Natività di Gesù”
Author: Giotto di Bondone (1266-1337).
Year of creation: 1303-1305
Size: 200 x 185 cm.
Style: Renaissance.
Genre: Religious.
Technique: Fresco.
Material: Raw plaster.
Location: Scrovegni Chapel, Padua (Cappella degli Scrovegni), Italy.

Giotto succeeded in creating sublime innovative art in the traditional Byzantine tradition.

The fresco “Nativity of Christ” by Giotto di Bondone depicts the moment during which the midwife Salome hands over the newborn Jesus to his mother. The Virgin Mary restlessly lies on her bed: she looks long and sadly at the Baby.

Let’s pay attention to one more detail: the red veil on which lies Mary with the Child. The red color in the Christian religion – one of the main ones – also symbolizes victory over death. Mother and child look into each other’s eyes. They are connected by flesh and blood.

Animals eat, breathe, and the audience sees and feels all this. Animals wandered here for warmth and food, as if in Noah’s Ark. Above the barn are 5 angels who appeared to look at the birth of Christ. All members of the Holy Family and angels are depicted with a halo. The faces and robes of the heroines of Giotto’s Nativity reflect incredible detail.

He also uses gold to enhance the effect of his work. However, even without gilding, this work is impressive and has incredible beauty. Giotto uses the ox as a symbol of the New Testament and the donkey as an attribute of the Old Testament. And together they symbolize the contrast between those who see and know, and those who are blind to the truth and news about the come Christ.

The fresco “Nativity of Christ” by Giotto is one of the most significant works of the artist. Giotto sees Christmas in a completely new light – in a vibrant human drama. The master wanted his characters to be dynamic and alive. The revolutionary approach of the master continued its influence during the Renaissance and in the work of other great artists such as Raphael, Michelangelo and Masaccio.