Nativity

This wood relief
sculpture was located above a door inside a hall of the Oratory of San Giuseppe
a Trognano (Pavia). In the context of Renaissance Lombard sculpture, its
excellent quality is worthy of note. It is thought that the work
was part of an altarpiece (perhaps dedicated to the cult of St. Joseph) of
which to date no other fragments have come to light. The subject of the scene,
set in a ruined building, is the Nativity, viewed against the motif of a
dilapidated straw roof viewed from the front, with great architectural ruins in
the background. The thatched roof is
depicted in great detail, with a large gap revealing the beams and rafters
underneath (a recurring theme in Lombard wooden sculptures). Above the roof, two angels hold a cartouche with the words
"Gloria in excelsis deo". In the background, at the
top of the wall made of roughly hewn stones, there is an oculus, seen in
perspective, indicating that the sculptor knew and accepted "modern"
architecture as interpreted by Bramante. The central scene is framed
by the motif of the arch, inside which there are shepherds, and angels with
almost spherical heads wearing helmet-shaped caps, with tiny, flattened
features, mingling with the Holy Family. On the sides there is a
background landscape with stylised trees, roughly folding ground, a flock of
sheep, a sleeping dog, and a shepherd kneeling to receive the good news. In the
bottom left corner, a beautiful dark woman is drying a cloth decorated with
delicate impressions on gold leaf. The iconographic, stylistic
and compositional themes used to describe the scene speak of a broad cultural
horizon, influenced by Foppa, by themes from Padua and Ferrara, by connection
with works of the De Donati family and by knowledge of Flemish painting, and,
as already mentioned, by Bramante. The
theme of the ancient ruin transformed into a stable is quite a common one and
symbolises the decay of the classical world at the moment of Christ’s birth. The relief sculpture,
which belongs to the collection of A.S.P. Golgi-Redaelli, was
"rediscovered" in 1978 and recovered thanks to an intelligent
restoration. It has become one of the cornerstones of Lombard wooden sculpture. In 2004 it was deposited in the Applied Arts
Collection of Castello Sforzesco