Nativity Scenes and Other Families in Renaissance Paintings

For most of us Christmas 2020 was a different and quieter Christmas, and we spent it with just our closest family members. This was for me no bad thing as I don't enjoy busy Christmases and prefer a quiet day. More often than not I spend it just with my sons - three years ago I spent it actually on my own, which was absolutely fine. Ian instead likes to spend Christmas in Yorkshire with his own sons and thirty plus relatives. Not last Christmas, mind you.

The image above, Adoration by Gerrit Van Honthorst, is at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and it is one of my favourite Nativity paintings. Gerrit Van Honthorst was a Dutch painter who lived in Rome for ten years at the beginning of the 17th Century. He was a follower of Caravaggio and went to Italy to complete his artistic education as most European painters did. Von Honthorst's paintings all show images of interiors at night time with dramatic effects of light and shade. He almost exaggerated Caravaggio's technique of chiaroscuro (light and dark) and for this reason his name was translated into Italian at the time as Gerardo delle Notti, Gerard of the Nights.

This painting is particularly beautiful. The face of the Madonna is lit up as is that of the young boy to the left and they are both exquisite. The light emphasises the sweet contour of the boy's face and Mary's beautiful features. By contrast the face of St Joseph is barely visible in the darkness behind Mary. We can just make out his grey beard and his wrinkled forehead. However, Van Honthorst manages somehow to give Joseph's eyes an expression of quiet admiration and joy.

Holy Family, Luca Signorelli, 1487, Uffizi, Florence

Paintings of Families

The Uffizi Gallery have a wealth of paintings showing the Holy Family. One which is particularly significant is by Luca Signorelli and is a Tondo (round picture). It dates to 1485 or 1486 and shows Mary, Jesus and Joseph set against a background of green fields and rocky mountains. This is one of the very first painting of a nativity scene set in a landscape. The group of figures also create a round shape which fits the round space of the frame. This painting by Signorelli is thought to have inspired other artists, such as Michelangelo in his Tondo Doni.

Tondi, or round paintings, were usually commissioned by wealthy families to commemorate a birth or a wedding.

Family of Giovanni Della Volta, Lorenzo Lotto, 1547, National Gallery, London

More families' portraits.

Lorenzo Lotto was a 15th century Venetian painter who was influenced by Giorgione and Bellini. Like them he managed to convey successfully the psychology of his sitters and use colours in a masterful way.

The painting above shows Giovanni Della Volta and his young family. He was Lotto's landlord and a document indicates that Lotto paid for his rent with this painting. It just proves that most painters lived a life of poverty, even Leonardo had to to 'count his scudi', i.e. count his pennies. What would they think now of the value of their paintings and their legacy.

Signora Della Volta in the painting shows off a fabulous dress, which has a sheen indicating probably silk. On the table is a bowl of cherries, which were a symbol of fertility. The young Della Volta daughter wears a dress similar to that of her mother. She is picking up a couple of cherries which apparently signifies her future role as a fertile wife and mother. Her young brother is wearing a see through tunic which leaves nothing to the imagination .....This isn't casual ... Families wanted viewers to know that they had boys, so a male line.

Lorenzo Lotto painted portraits of very small families - the Della Volta portrait is quite unusual as it shows four people. His other family portraits show just married couples or a father and son duo. So they are very appropriate for this Christmas 2020 when our family gatherings will be much smaller than usual.

One final detail about the Lotto painting. Between husband and wife is a table covered with a Turkish rug - this rug we know belonged to Lotto himself as you can see the same rug in a few others of his paintings. Both the fabric of Signora Della Volta and the rug are indications of the family's wealth.

Oriental Rugs

It is curious for us to see from many Renaissance paintings that Oriental rugs were never put on floors but were draped instead over tables or chairs. The reason was that they were thought to be too valuable to be walked upon. Generally only Madonnas or kings and queens were painted standing on rugs, such as Gentile Bellini's Madonna and Child Enthroned or Holbein's Herry VIII and Edward VI portraits.

Federico da Montefeltro e Cristoforo Landino, Sandro Botticelli, 1460

At times of processions Oriental rugs were also draped over windowsills or balustrades.

Starting from the 14th century traders began importing rugs into Europe from Persia, Armenia, Azerbaijan,Turkey and North Africa. In fact the geographical area going from Morocco to the Middle East and then to India and China is known as the Rug Belt. It must be said that Western owners had no idea of the cultural and religious meaning of styles and patterns. For them rugs, like jewellery or expensive clothes, were just status symbols.

Above and below are images of Renaissance paintings showing the use of Oriental rugs as decorative features.

Detail from a fresco in Palazzo Costabili, Ferrara, 1503. Possibly the two girls represent the daughters of the Duke of Este, Isabella and Beatrice d’Este

Hope you all have a good new year!