The Nativity

The Nativity, painted around 1656, is a late devotional work by Cortona now in the Museo del Prado. The subject of Christ's birth was treated by virtually every Italian painter, and Cortona's version brings his characteristically dynamic Baroque approach to the humble stable scene. The painting's presence in Spain reflects the extensive exchange of Italian art through diplomatic gifts and collecting. His position alongside Bernini and Borromini as one of the three great creators of Roman Baroque style gave him access to the most prestigious commissions in 17th-century Rome, and his approach to illusionistic ceiling painting defined the grandest ambitions of the era.

The nocturnal Nativity employs dramatic chiaroscuro, with divine light emanating from the Christ child to illuminate the surrounding figures. Cortona's late style maintains its warmth and fluency while showing a somewhat more restrained approach to figure composition.