Why it matters
Angels dance in a circle above the stable while devils flee below. A Greek inscription at the top links the painting to the Apocalypse and 'the troubles of Italy'. It is Botticelli's only signed work.
Did you know?
- It was painted around 1500–1501.
- It shows the influence of Savonarola.
- Botticelli believed he was living in the Great Tribulation.
Based on the Wikipedia article The Mystical Nativity (CC BY-SA 4.0).
