Picture 9 / 11
The Birth of Christ
Piero della Francesca, The Nativity, c. 1470–75
- Painter
- Piero della Francesca
- Collection
- National Gallery, London
- Scripture
- Luke 2:13
- Published
- 4 October 2026
- Image
- Wikimedia Commons, public domain ↗
Mary kneels before the child, who lies on a fold of her blue cloak and stretches his arms towards her. Five angels stand in a row and sing to their lutes. Behind them Joseph sits on a saddle, and two shepherds have arrived.
It is one of Piero's last pictures and stayed in his family for generations. The angels have no wings, and the stable is a lean-to roof against a broken wall. Parts of the surface are thin and worn, which gives the picture its dry, pale look; whether Piero left it unfinished is disputed.
The angels sing with open mouths, each one differently.
Joseph sits cross-legged on the saddle and shows us the sole of his foot. A shepherd beside him points to heaven.
On the roof sits a magpie, a bird that is normally never silent.