Nativity
by CHRISTUS, Petrus, Wood, 86 x 55 cm
The two panels by Christus, the Annunciation and the Nativity were quite badly worn, but painstakingly restored. Both of them are signed and dated (1452) and were probably painted as part of a triptych or polyptych. They reveal Christus as a precise designer of space and moulder of volumes. The figures in the Annunciation resemble statues arranged in a geometrically constructed show-case. It is the first painting in the Netherlands with a correct central perspective.
Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 6 minutes):
Josquin Desprez: Benedicta es coelorum Regina, motet