These paintings are a combination of several themes revolving around the birth of Christ in Bethlehem: shepherds, kings, adoration, and the holy family. The only image without the Christ child is #9, which shows the Angel announcing the Nativity to the Shepherds.
Though there are many typical motifs present, there are a few unusual points we find fascinating:
- Saint Joseph is sleeping while God the Father and God the Holy Ghost appear at the Nativity in #6. Though Joseph certainly deserves his rest, we usually only see him sleeping in art when the go-to-Egypt-Herod-is-after-ya'll angel appears to him in a dream.
- The most prominent, gift-giving magi in #2 has taken off his crown and kneels to adore the Christ child. While doing so, he shows us that he's a bearded and bald king — a fashion style we don't normally see in art renditions of the three kings.
- A prominently shown Crucifix is painted on the top left of #7. This is certainly a foreshadowing of the reason for God becoming man: Redemption. Once again, though, a motif we don't normally see in Nativity artwork.
1. The Adoration of the Shepherds by Murillo ![image](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0250/2340/products/murillo-adoration-shepherds_large.jpg?v=1376941620)
2. The Adoration of the Magi by Franz von Rohden
![image](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0250/2340/products/Rohden-Adoration-of-Magi_large.jpg?v=1377621692)
3. The Adoration of the Shepherds by Bernardo Strozzi
![image](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0250/2340/products/strozzi-adoration-shepherds_large.jpg?v=1376941621)
4. The Adoration of the Magi by Carlo Dolci
![image](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0250/2340/products/dolci-adoration-magi_large.jpg?v=1377804808)
5. The Nativity by John Singleton Copley
![image](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0250/2340/products/copley-nativity_large.jpg?v=1376941711)
6. The Nativity with God the Father and Holy Ghost by Giovanni Battista Pittoni
![image](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0250/2340/products/Pittoni-Nativity-with-God-Far-Holy-Ghost_large.jpg?v=1377570777)
7. The Nativity by Lorenzo Lotto
![image](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0250/2340/products/Lotto-Nativity-Christ_large.jpg?v=1377727671)
8. The Holy Night by Carl Heinrich Bloch
![image](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0250/2340/products/bloch-holy-night_large.jpg?v=1377299330)
9. The Shepherds and the Angel by Carl Heinrich Bloch
![image](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0250/2340/products/bloch-shepherds-angel_large.jpg?v=1377298641)
10. The Nativity by Federico Barocci
![image](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0250/2340/products/barocci-nativity_large.jpg?v=1377551861)
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