Dear Friends,

On the occasion of this Christmas Holidays, as in the last year, I would like to present three great painter's master pieces centered on the Nativity of the Lord. The three of them are oils on canvas. While not very known to the general public, they are among the most beautiful religious paintings ever made. I hope you will like and feel inspired by them. (NOTE: You may click on the images to enlarge them.)

The first, "Nativity", is a precious masterwork of 256,5 x 188 cm painted between 1528 and 1530 by the Italian Mannerist painter Correggio (Antonio Allegri) and preserved at the Gemaldegalerie in Dresden (Germany).

Nativity (Holy Night)
by Correggio

The second, "Adoration of the Shepherds", is a majestic master work by the Rococo Era painter Jean-Honore Fragonard (painted 1689). This relatively small, just 73 x 93 cm in size, but wonderful masterpiece may be viewed at the Musée du Louvre, Paris.
 

Adoration of the Shepherds
by Jean-Honore Fragonard
 

The third, also titled "Adoration of the Shepherds", is another precious oil on canvas painted in 1750 by the also French Rococo Era painter Francois Boucher. The painting is one of his rare works of religious subject. It is treasured in the Musée des Beaux-Arts at Lyon (France).

Adoration of the Shepherds
by Francois Boucher
 

This time too I have avoided including too many technical data and information about the authors, as I just wanted to provide you with some particularly beautiful paintings of the Nativity of the Lord.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Luis Miguel Goitizolo