The Nativity

This confident composition has been associated with the work of the Venetian painter Giovanni Bellini. We are given a close view of the Holy Family, separated by a picket fence from the sweeping landscape beyond. The drawing’s technique is wide ranging, from the precise hatching employed for Joseph and Mary to the free technique used for the shepherds. The artist has worked confidently, moving from left to right. He did, however, make changes as he went. For instance, the ox’s tail was drawn over the dog.