By Darla McCammon

Pictured is “The Mystical Nativity” by Sandro Botticelli.

Sandro Botticelli was a master Renaissance artist from Italy. He created the painting “The Mystical Nativity” around 1500. This work can be viewed at the National Gallery in London. Botticelli normally painted in oil on wood panels, but this painting was done on canvas. Historians claim the message within this work of art was so dangerous the artist used canvas which could be rolled up and secreted much more safely than large, stiff wooden panels.

At the time this painting was produced there was an influential preacher named Savonarola who not only manipulated Botticelli, but also stirred up powerful political enemies with his challenging religious beliefs. Savonarola was eventually tortured and hanged as a false prophet, but as we look at this painting which has survived, we can see puzzling depictions of not only a happy occasion in the birth of Jesus, but also prophetic, almost last judgment, events happening in this jumble of images.

Notice how much larger the child and the Virgin Mary are in contrast to all the other figures. This was not normal for the work of this artist who was always careful to use exquisite perspective in all his other work. This was also the only of his surviving works on which he left his signature—perhaps to signify its importance to him?

An inscription at the top of the painting tells us that Botticelli believed the wars and fighting in Europe were an omen and that they were living in the days foretold in the Bible as “The Tribulation.”

The longer one looks at this painting the more is revealed. The kings on the left are without their usually depicted luxurious gifts. The 12 angels at the top are ascending into a beautiful golden done representing heaven, yet many devils are also in evidence who are fleeing to the underground.

“In echoing this kind of painting the Mystical Nativity is asking us to think not only of Christ’s birth but of his return,” said Jonathan Nelson, University in Florence.

The painting has lost some of his original glitter and glamour over time. Yes, he actually used real gold based on his days as a goldsmith, in parts of this work, the copper parts however have turned green and no longer have that original luster.

Regardless of the motivation behind the painting, it is an amazing piece of work and if you simply look up Botticelli on the Internet you can visit many pages with more to his story.

Upcoming and Current Events

Please contact Darla McCammon at [email protected] or at (574) 527-4044 if you have an event to mention.

• Through Dec. 28, photography by Florida artist Darlene Romano is on display at the Warsaw City Hall Gallery, 102 S. Buffalo St. It is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday except holidays. Online views of more work by this artist can be found at www.darleneromano.com.
• The Gallery at Rua will be on display through Jan. 12 at 108 E. Market St., featuring Nate and Jeanie Skages with their “Resurrexi-Making Medieval Modern” exhibit.
• There will be a potential Mary Alice Estep exhibit running from the first week in January 2019 through March. Please contact Darla if you have paintings by this artist that can be shared with the community.