Nativity at Night
Geertgen tot Sint Jans · 1490
Why it's great
The baby Jesus glows with light on the ground in a night scene, and angels stand around him. Geertgen tot Sint Jans painted it in about 1490, and it is one of the first pictures to show a scene lit mainly by firelight.
Where to see it
📍 National GalleryCity of Westminster, United Kingdom
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Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:
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Geertgen tot Sint Jans was a Dutch painter who was born in Leiden around 1460 and lived in a monastery in Haarlem, where his name means Little Gerard of the Brothers of Saint John. He died young, in his late twenties, around 1490.
