Nativity

Fra Filippo Lippi's Nativity, painted around 1459 as an altarpiece for Florence's Magi Chapel, exemplifies Early renaissance artistry. Departing from traditional religious painting conventions, this fresco depicts the Nativity scene set in a rugged, mountainous forest rather than a Bethlehem stable, with wood debris scattered around. The figures and animals are replaced by others, lending a highly individual, almost mystical quality to the scene. Originally in the chapel, the work now resides in the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, showcasing Lippi's unique approach to religious storytelling with a vivid, naturalistic environment.