Single Leaf Excised from a Gospel Book: The Nativity (recto)

Unknown painter, Helmarshausen · c. 1190
The Cleveland Museum of Art

A leaf from a Gospel book made at Helmarshausen Abbey in Germany about 1190. Its painters worked in tempera, silver and gold on parchment.

Below, Mary reclines beside the manger where the Child lies between an ox and a donkey; Joseph sits at the right. Above, two crowned figures hold scrolls, and two figures lean down from above and up from below.

From the text

She wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger (Luke 2:7)

Joseph went up to Bethlehem with Mary (Luke 2:4–5)

The artist’s own

Ox and donkey at the manger, a tradition not in Luke

Latin scrolls with words of Psalm 85:10–11

Details

Mary

She lies on a couch.

The manger

The Child lies between two animal heads.

Joseph

He sits at the right with his hand to his face.

Above and below

Two figures lean from heaven and earth.

Unknown illuminator, Germany, Helmarshausen Abbey, 12th century. The Cleveland Museum of Art (Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund, 1933.445.a) · ink, tempera, silver, and gold on vellum · Cleveland Museum of Art Open Access: Collection API record "share_license_status": "CC0" (Creative Commons Zero, https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/).

The verses

Luke 2:1–7Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the whole empire. This was the first census to take place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, since he was from the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her Child to be born. And she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.