Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/Nativity (Christus)

Nativity (Christus)

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This is the archived discussion of the TFAR nomination for the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page.

The result was: scheduled for Wikipedia:Today's featured article/December 25, 2014 by BencherliteTalk 14:00, 3 December 2014 (UTC)[reply]

The Nativity is a large oil-on-wood devotional panel painting by the Early Netherlandish artist Petrus Christus, completed between the mid-1440s and mid-1450s. It shows a nativity scene bordered with grisaille archways and trompe-l'oeil sculpted reliefs. Christus was influenced by the first generation of Netherlandish artists, especially Jan van Eyck and Rogier van der Weyden, and in its sense of grace, simplicity and naturalism, the panel is characteristic of art of that period. It reflects the 14th century Devotio Moderna movement and contains complex Christian iconography, juxtaposing Old and New Testament saints and figures with great subtlety. The sculpted archway reliefs depict Old Testament ideas of sin and punishment, signaling the advent of Christ's sacrifice. The composition employs geometric forms and a bold use of color. In the 1930s, Andrew Mellon bequeathed it to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, as one of several hundreds works donated from his personal collection. (Full article...)