Curious Birth: Unpacking Christmas

’Tis the season for USPS to offer its annual selection of holiday stamps. But what images of the Christ-child aren’t so likely to make it to a mailbox near you? Join us for a special discussion devoted to the history of artworks that picture Christ’s birth and childhood, sometimes in surprising ways.

We’ll begin by looking at some of the earliest images of the Nativity to learn about the iconographic evolution of the narratives and figures that feature so prominently in the visual culture of America’s holiday season. Moving through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Early Modern period, we will observe the interplay of tradition and innovation in artworks produced first in Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean and Africa, and then across the globe. Along the way we will learn to draw connections and make distinctions between ancient and modern imaginings of the cast of characters that we see populating the churches, shops, billboards and front lawns of Cincinnati and beyond.

We will discuss works across media and practices, including but not limited to painting, sculpture, architecture and public performance.

Register Here : https://www.manifestgallery.org/studio/art_history/curious_birth/index.html

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