The Most High Made Little for Us

"Representing the event of the birth of Jesus is equivalent to announcing the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God with simplicity and joy." As Pope Francis recalls, the birth of Jesus has inspired generations of artists who, over the centuries, have evangelized through beauty. To experience the Christmas season, the Vatican Museums and Vatican News propose a masterpiece from the pontifical collections accompanied by the words of the Popes.

Giovanni di Paolo (Siena ca. 1398 - 1482), Nativity and Annunciation to the Shepherds, ca. 1440, Tempera and gold on panel, Predella compartment, ©Vatican Museums

This splendid nocturnal scene, created around 1440 by the skilled hand of the Sienese artist Giovanni di Paolo, belonged to the predella of a now-disassembled polyptych. Numerous elements are to be interpreted according to the symbolic language of the time. Saint Joseph, depicted old and asleep near the only dry tree in the scene, alludes to the fact that he did not take part in the divine birth of the Son of God. The two female figures next to Mary, the midwives mentioned in the apocryphal Gospels, represent humanity that both believes (the woman looking towards the Virgin) and doubts (the woman turning her back). In the background, the glow of the angel's announcement to the shepherds illuminates the sky, while the radiant aura of light emanates from the newborn Baby Jesus.

“In Jesus, the Most High made himself tiny, so that we might love him. But we can still ask ourselves: why does Saint Paul describe the coming of God into our world as “grace”? To tell us that it is utterly free. Whereas on earth everything seems to be about giving in order to get, God comes down freely. His love is non-negotiable: we did nothing to deserve it and we will never be able to repay it.”

(Pope Francis – Christmas Eve Mass – 24 December 2019)

Curated by Paolo Ondarza

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