Fra Angelico
The Nativity

1440-41
Fresco
Convento di San Marco, Florence, Italy

Like some other Nativities of this period, the artist compromises between the tradition of setting the birth in a cave and the one that sets it in a stable. Following the vision of St. Brigid of Sweden, he has Mary on her knees and the child lying naked on the ground. As usual, angels sing above and the ox and ass look on.

The saint behind Mary is probably Catherine of Alexandria, because of the crown. The saint in black is Peter Martyr, identified by the gash in his head.

Read more about the Nativity and about St. Peter Martyr.

Photographed at the site by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.