Unless the context of this painting is a series on the nativity I wonder if it actually more of a sideways "Virgin and Child Entroned with Saints and Angels." One is more likely to see Mary and Jesus presented in the center with saint important to the patron around the sides or below. I've been looking a lots and lots of nativity images in researching children's clothing and there generally aren't that many people hanging around a regualr nativity. But then why don't the rest of them have halos.
If the person in red looks like Mary Magdalene then the guy in front looks a lot like St. Peter. The third haloed fellow just doesn't look exotic enough to be a Magi. The artist certainly knew how to paint people of different ethnities. Could the three haloed people be saints important in the life of Jesus. Peter and Mary M make sense but could the third one be Paul. He sometimes is depicted with a sword. Twelve years of Catholic school AND an art history degree and I'm still not sure. Context is everything. Maybe the patron was picky or the artist's modelbook had the saints mislabeled. Cheers, Mary _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
