Nativity of Christ

This Nativity of Christ by the anonymous Meister der Pietà (c. 1350) is a significant example of Bohemian Gothic panel painting at mid-century. The Master of the Pietà is named after a famous devotional image and represents the refined courtly style cultivated in Prague under Emperor Charles IV, who made the city a major artistic center. The Gemäldegalerie panel reflects the emotional intensity and decorative richness characteristic of Bohemian painting before the disruptions of the early fifteenth century.

Tempera and gold on panel in the Bohemian Gothic style. The composition features the soft, rounded figural modeling and rich chromatic harmonies typical of Prague court painting, with elaborate gold tooling and a lyrical approach to the Nativity narrative.