Nativity

Geertgen tot Sint Jans, who died young around 1490-95, was one of the most innovative painters of the early Netherlandish school in Haarlem. This Nativity in the Gemäldegalerie Berlin is attributed to his circle and reflects his revolutionary approach to nocturnal lighting effects, where the Christ Child's radiance illuminates the surrounding figures. The oil medium allowed for rich tonal transitions and glazed layers of color that created luminous depth impossible with the older tempera technique.

The painting follows Geertgen's characteristic use of the Christ Child as a light source in Nativity scenes, creating dramatic chiaroscuro effects that anticipate later developments in Northern European night painting by over a century.