The Adoration of the Christ Child

Master of Frankfurt

possibly 1496–1502 · Oil on oak panel · Robert Lehman Collection

The newborn Christ Child, encircled by an adoring group that includes his mother and father, shepherds, animals and angels, lies naked in a manger. Adoration scenes, many influenced by the visionary account of Saint Bridget of Sweden (ca. 1303 – 1373), were painted for the open market in Antwerp. This picture, unlike other extant examples associated with the Master of Frankfurt and his workshop, does not depict the scene under the night sky, a feature that reduces the dramatic effect of the scene. Yet other elements, like the streaming hair of several angels, lends the picture a feeling of flickering movement.

Artist

Master of Frankfurt

Date

possibly 1496–1502

Medium

Oil on oak panel

Culture

Netherlandish

Department

Robert Lehman Collection

Credit line

Robert Lehman Collection, 1975