huntingtonlibrary:“Artist Edward Burne-Jones (1833–1898) rendered this work—which measures almost fi
huntingtonlibrary:“Artist Edward Burne-Jones (1833–1898) rendered this work—which measures almost five feet high—in various dreamy shades of blue offset with touches of gold. The elongated scene is divided into two sections by a swooping “S” curve, reminiscent of historiated letters in manuscript illuminations. In the upper portion of the painting, a crowd of angels appears before shepherds, who shield their eyes from the dazzling vision. The background is filled with a tangle of skeletal trees. In the lower portion of the painting, Mary, Joseph, and a small group of angels gaze at the infant Jesus in wonderment. Here the artist painted a cave in the background, creating a sense of protection and quiet piety that contrasts with the decorative brilliance above.”Read more about newly acquired painting The Nativity in “A Designing Pre-Raphaelite,” by interim director of the Art Collections Catherine Hess. See it on view in the Works on Paper Room of the Huntington Art Gallery starting tomorrow, Feb. 22 through Mar. 19. Image: Edward Coley Burne-Jones (1833–1898), The Nativity, watercolor and bodycolor, heightened with gold, on two joined sheets of paper, 56 3⁄4 x 231⁄8 in. (144.1 x 58.7 cm.). The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. -- source link