The Nativity c. 1508 - 1519

Juan de Flandes painted this Nativity, filled with symbols old and new. Consider the owl perched atop the crumbling structure. This creature of the night, often associated with wisdom, also carries the weight of melancholy, a symbol of darkness receding with the dawn of a new era. Now, let your eyes wander to the Madonna, her hands clasped in prayer, her face veiled in solemn contemplation. This gesture echoes through centuries of art, a posture of supplication and reverence. Yet, it is also a human gesture of introspection, mirroring our own moments of quiet reflection. The ox and ass, ancient symbols of the Old and New Testaments, reappear in countless nativity scenes. The psychological power of these familiar figures lies in their ability to evoke a sense of timeless continuity, connecting us to a narrative that transcends the ages. As symbols evolve through time, they accumulate layers of meaning, echoing and transforming across cultures. They resurface, transformed by each new era, yet forever bound to their origins in the depths of our collective memory.