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Spinello Aretino’s treatment of this nativity scene is particularly tender. The Virgin Mary looks serenely towards her son Christ, as two midwives bathe him. Behind them an ox and an ass gaze out from their stable. Above, angels announce Christ’s birth to the shepherds, who can be seen in the rocks to the right. The panel is thought to be one of only two known surviving elements of a rare double-sided altarpiece. It was commissioned for the Franciscan church in Città di Castello, near to Spinello’s home town of Arezzo.

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

London

Title

Nativity

Date

c.1380

Medium

tempera on panel

Measurements

H 93.9 x W 62.8 cm

Accession number

P.1947.LF.13

Acquisition method

bequeathed by Arthur Hamilton, Viscount Lee of Fareham, 1947

Work type

Painting

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The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Somerset House, Strand, London, Greater London WC2R 0RN England

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