Description
The Nativity in the Scrovegni Chapel forms part of the cycle devoted to the life of Christ and is one of the clearest examples of Giotto's ability to transform a traditional subject into a scene of intense humanity. The Virgin reclines beneath a simple shelter and turns toward the newborn Child, establishing an immediate visual and emotional relationship with him.
Saint Joseph sits apart in quiet reflection, while the animals, angels and shepherds complete the scene without diminishing the central bond between mother and child. Mary's gesture is fundamental. Rather than displaying the Child frontally as a symbolic image, Giotto shows the mother turning naturally toward him. Their exchanged gaze concentrates the emotional meaning of the event and makes the Nativity feel domestic and physical.
