Northern School, 16th Century. Nativity Scene. Large Oil On Panel.

Large oil on panel depicting a Nativity scene, the Adoration of the Shepherds. Northern School (Germany, Tyrol), first half of the 16th century. 133 x 64 cm excluding frame. It represents the Holy Family, with Mary in the center, kneeling in adoration before the Infant Jesus, and Joseph behind her. The Child lies in a manger surrounded by several archangels also in adoration, along with the donkey and the ox. The shepherds are also depicted in adoration, their clothing and hats reminiscent of clothing characteristic of Northern Europe in the mid-16th century. In the lower left, a figure depicted as a kneeling ecclesiastical dignitary (bishop or abbot) with a shepherd's staff is likely the person who commissioned the painting. In the background, figures rejoice at the news of the child's birth. The scene is set in a medieval, Nordic-inspired setting, with arches and a half-timbered house in the background. The composition is very vertical, typical of a late Gothic style, from the end of the Renaissance. The panel has been reinforced on the back and has undergone standard restorations for a panel over 400 years old.
Further information available upon request.