September 8: The Nativity of The Blessed Virgin Mary

The Nativity of The Virgin,  c.1400-1405, painting by Andrea di Bartolo

housed at the National Museum of Art

I was searching for a painting to honor the Nativity of the Blessed Mother, Sept. 8. Looking through a number of gorgeous paintings, I decided on the one above because it was intriguing to me, and I liked the color and movement within it. I posted it on Facebook, and someone asked if it were an example of iconic realism. After studying it carefully, reviewing the various symbols of art during the early 15th century, i came up with the following information and conclusion: 

Color usage in paintings: 

Red: passion, power, and nobility, often associated with the Catholic Church. 

Blue: The Virgin Mary, purity, piety, and wisdom

Green: youth, fertility, and nature

Yellow: the sun (divine), commonly used in textiles of the Middle Ages.

Black: the color of mourning.

Joachim sits outside the main event with another man, completely overwhelmed. 

All women are inside with Mary as the focal point. 

Anne recovers from the birthing process on the bed, is served water, poured from pitcher, as in the Mass (washing of the hands). Woman pouring water is wearing black (foreshadowing Christ’s death, perhaps?)

Two women one in yellow (Divinity?), one in pink, a young noblewoman, play with a strong infant Mary, who already can stand on her own two feet after having just been born. 

Another woman in blue enters with bread and body of dead chicken to sustain Anne (another foreshadowing perhaps of the Bread of Life?)

Overhead, red molding extends throughout the entire scene and red curtain, power oversees the event, and possibly foreshadowing Christ’s death. Since it also delineates three distinct rooms, the molding could symbolize the Great Schism of the Catholic Church (1378-1417)

At the highest point, one sees the heavenly firmament: Divinity in charge of all. 

Now, to answer the question: 

Is it iconic realism? Yes, we have little, infant Mary, in the center of this wealthy family into which she was born, displaying internal and physical strength at birth, who will eventually give birth to Jesus the Christ, who gave up all of His possessions and life for humanity. This juxtaposition illustrates the importance of the human need to transform greed and abundance to humility and compassion. 

Thank you, Charles, for helping me to realize this example of iconic realism.

References: 

https://www.britannica.com/event/Western-Schism

https://knightstemplar.co/unraveling-medieval-times-colors-and-their-significance/