An exhausted mother and her newborn express the universality of the Nativity
Artemisia Gentileschi, Madonna and Child (detail), 1612
ALAMY / INCAMERASTOCK
This scene of the Christmas couple has a sense of reality that is often missing in many of the angel-heavy, romanticised versions.
The mother is exhausted: eyes closed, on the verge of sleep. Her fingers are positioned around her left nipple, and she is proffering it in the direction of a baby whose arm reaches up to her face, caressing it gently, hoping that his mum will wake up and play with him. His face is a study in concentration: the love and trust it contains is exquisite.
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