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Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem, from a Mirror of Holiness (Mir’at al-quds) of Father Jerome Xavier
1602-04
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States
Since the author of this book on the life of Christ did not specify the kind of animal that carried the heavily pregnant Mary to Bethlehem, the artist depicted her on a camel, strung with bells. He effectively conveys the harshness and discomfort of the journey by painting trees bending to wind, setting the travelers among rocky outcroppings, and surrounding her with strange men. Wearing a green coat, her husband Joseph carries a sword over his shoulder, suggesting that he is ready to face any potential trouble.
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Details
- Title: Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem, from a Mirror of Holiness (Mir’at al-quds) of Father Jerome Xavier
- Date Created: 1602-04
- Physical Dimensions: Page: 26.3 x 15.6 cm (10 3/8 x 6 1/8 in.)
- Provenance: An Indian family in Great Britain, whose grandfather brought the manuscript to England in the 1930s or 1940s through 2005, (Oliver Forge and Brendan Lynch Ltd., London, UK, 2005, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art), The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, 2005-present
- Type: Manuscript
- Rights: CC0
- External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/2005.145.24.b
- Medium: Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper
- Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
- Culture: Mughal India, Allahabad, made for Prince Salim (1569–1627)
- Credit Line: John L. Severance Fund
- Collection: Indian Art
- Accession Number: 2005.145.24.b
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