Nativity - Italian School of the 17th Century After Titien

This remarkable painting is an early copy of the famous *Nativity* painted by Titian around 1532–1533, the original of which is now in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington. From the moment it was created, this composition became widely known thanks to the engraving by Giovanni Britto, which allowed many artists to draw inspiration from the Venetian master’s work even without access to the original.

Our painting does not directly reproduce Titian’s painting but rather the version engraved by Britto. The composition is, in fact, reversed compared to the original painting, a reversal that results naturally from the process of copperplate engraving. This detail provides a decisive clue: the painter most likely worked from this print, rather than from the original. The work must therefore date from after the engraving was produced, which was done in the 1530s.

The scene faithfully reproduces the main elements of the model: the kneeling Virgin presenting the Child, Saint Joseph leaning on his staff, the shepherds rushing forward in a lively movement, the ox, the dog, the peacock perched on the partition, as well as the rustic architecture opening onto a luminous landscape. However, a few variations in the figures’ poses, the color palette, and certain details show that this is not a mere mechanical copy, but a genuine pictorial reinterpretation.

The proposed date, between the late 16th and early 17th centuries,
Presented in a late 18th or early 19th century antique frame in carved and gilded wood.