Is it true the following sentence: "We know very little about Jesus' infancy"?.

 

Look at this painting by Dieric BOUTS the Elder, painted around 1445, that can be found in The Prado Museum. There are four scenes of Jesus' infancy.

Many of the works of art that represent Jesus' infancy scenes are based on the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Please, read carefully the following sentence and choose the right answer: "Jesus' infancy gospel writters dindn't want to produce a biography of Jesus. They wanted to explain who he was and how the early Christians saw him".

 

Here you can see the alterpiece of Salamanca's old cathedral, a wonder of the 15th century, by Dello DELLI, a painter of Florence (Italy). The most important scenes of the gospels are represented in these fifty-three boards. If you want to see them in detail click on any of themhere

When we watch works of art based on the birth of Jesus, we know that they are inspired in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Read carefully the following sentence and tick on the right answer: "Jesus' infancy gospel writers wanted to produce a biography of Jesus, an account that explained everything that happened to him..."

 

This is a painting entitled "The Nativity", by Lorenzo LOTTO (1523).

Look at this painting of Jesus' birth by Caravaggio, based in the gospels of Mathew and,most of all, of Luke. Read carefully and complete the following sentence: "Jesus' infancy gospel writers didn't want to produce a biography of Jesus. They wanted to explain who he was and how the early ___________ saw him".

 

This work of art by CARAVAGGIO is entitled "Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence", a canvas from 1506, that it is in Palermo.

There are many artistic representations of Jesus' birth. They are based on the "Infancy gospels". Read carefulley and complete the following sentence: "Jesus' infancy gospel writers didn't want to produce a biography of Jesus. They wanted to explain who he was, his mission, how early Christians saw him and that Jesus is the expected ________ ".

 

Here you can see the alterpiece of Salamanca's old cathedral, a wonder of the 15th century, by Dello Delli, a painter of Florence (Italy). He captured in fifty-three images what it's most important in the Good News. Many of these images aren't based on proved historical facts but in religious beliefs. If you want to see something in detail click on any of themHERE

Many artists have represented Jesus' genealogy. These works of art receive the name of "the tree of Jesse". In order to paint this theme they have looked into the gospels narratives of Matthew and Luke, where Jesus' genealogy can be found (Mt 1,1-17 and Lk 3,23-37). What is a GENEALOGY?


I show you here a representation of Jesus' genealogy, that it's in the basilica of Saint-Quentin in France.

The gospels of Matthew and Luke offer us a list of Jesus' genealogy. Do the gospel writers try to give us a list of Jesus' ancestors or do these lists have a symbolic nature and try to say that Jesus belongs to the people of Israel and is the expected messiah?

 

You can see as well a reproduction of "the tree of Jesse". It's a work by Matteo da GUALDO. Have a look, the tree comes out of a man that is on the floor. It is Jesse, king David's father.

Annunciation is:

 

The text is from the gospel of Luke 1,26-38:

"In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Rejoice, you who enjoy God's favour!, the Lord is with you!" But she was deeply disturbed by these words, and asked herself what this greeting could mean. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have won God's favour. Look!, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your cousin Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." And Mary said, "You see before you the Lord's servant; let it happen to me as you have said" And the angel left her."

We call "Annunciation" to:

The gospel account where the angel Gabriel tells the virgin Mary that God has chosen her to be the mother of Jesus. It has been represented in art.

In art history there are many representations of "the Annunciation". The scene is narrated in the gospel of Luke 1,26-38. In the following text some words are missing. Click on the words on the list below.

"In the sixth month the angel ______ was sent to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man called ______, of the House of David; and the virgin's name was _______. He went in and said to her: ---Rejoice, you who enjoy God's favour!. She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean. The angel said to her: ---Do not be afraid, Mary, you have won God's favour. Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name him ______. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; the Lord God will him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end. Mary said to the angel: ---But how this will come about, since I have no knowledge of man? The angel answered: ---The _________ ________ will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and he will be called Son of God. And I tell you this too: your coudsin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whom the people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God. Mary said: ---You see before you the Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said. And the angel left her"

What does this work by Roger van der WEYDEN represent? Painted around 1455 this painting can be found in the Alte Pinakothek (Old Gallery)in Munich (Germany).

To understand any painting representing "The Visitation", the first thing to do it's to know the text of the gospel of Luke 1,39-45, in which this scene is narrated. That text is written here but there are some words missing. To complete the text click on the correspondent words on the list below.

" _____ set out at that time and went as quickly as she could into the hill country to a town on Judah. She went into Zachariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. Now it happened that as soon as ______ heard Mary's greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the ______ ________. She gave a loud cry and said: ---Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? Look, the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my _______ leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled."

The gospel scene where Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth is called: ______________________

In the gospel of Luke (1,39-45) after the angel's annunciation to the virgin Mary, she sets out and goes to her cousin Elizabeth's house, whose pregnancy was also announced by the angel. Mary wants to help her and be there for the birth of John the Baptist.

 

From the following paintings by Dieric BOUTS the Elder, which one is narrated in the gospel of Luke 1,39-45?

What does this painting by Roger van der WEYDEN, daiting from 1445, represent?

According to the Gospel of Luke 2,4-7, where was Jesus born?

 

That subject is represented by Federico Fiori BAROCCI in this painting, entitled "The Nativity", dating from 1597, that you can see in The Prado Museum in Madrid.

According to the Gospel of Luke, where was Jesus born?

 

If you are not sure of the answer, read the text in Lk 2,4-7.
This subject is represented by Lorenzo LOTTO in a painting, entitled "The Nativity", dated from 1523, housed in The National Gallery of Art, in Washington DC, USA.

Luke stresses the fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem because Joseph, his father, was of David's House and line, and Bethlehem was David's town. So Joseph set out to that town in Judaea in order to be registered in the census ordered by Caesar Augustus, together with Mary who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child and she gave birth to a son, her first-born. But, what is the religious significance/meaning of the fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem? Why does Luke stress the fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem?

A clue: Read this text of the Gospel of Luke 2,1-7:
"Now it happened that at this time Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be made of the whole inhabited world. This census -the first- took place while Quirinus was governor of Syria, and everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee for Judaea, to David's town called Bethlehem, since he was of David's House and line, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. Now it happened that, while they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the living-space."

Another clue: Look at this painting by Fra ANGELICO, dated from 1441, that is the St Mark's National Museum in Florence, Italy.

In order to fully understand Jesus nativity scenes, you have to know the text of the Gospel of Luke. Read the text below and click on the words to fill in the gaps.

"Now it happened that at this time Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a ______ should be made of the whole inhabited world. This census -the first- took place while Quirinus was governor of Syria and everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. So ________ set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee for Judaea, to David's town called _______ since he was of David's House and line, in order to be registered together with ________, his betrothed, who was with child. Now it happened that, while they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a _______, her first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the living-space."

What does this painting by El GRECO represent?

Which date do we celebrate the scene represented on this painting?

This is a work of art by CARAVAGGIO, dated from 1609. It was stolen on October 16, 1969 from the Oratory of San Lorenzo, in Palermo, Italy.

This painting is entitled "St. Joseph's Dream". What does it represent?

Read here the text of Matthew's Gospel 1,18-21:

"This is how Jesus Christcame to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being an upright man and wanting to spare her disgrace, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins."

 

Look at this painting by Gaetano GANDOLFI, dated from 1790. After reading the text of the Gospel of Matthew 2,13-15 choose the correct title.

"After they had left, suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him'. So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I called my son out of Egypt."

This painting by VERONESE can be seen in The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia. But in order to fully understand the scene you need to read the text on which the scene is based. There are some blanks in the text of the Gospel of Luke 2,8-20. Which words are mising?

"In the countryside close by there were ________ out in the fields keeping guard over their sheep during the watches of the night. An angel of the Lord stood over them and the glory of the Lord shone round them. They were terrified, but the angel said, 'Do not be afraid. Look, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.' And all at once with the angel there was a great throng of the hosts of heaven, praising God with the words: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace for those he favours. Now it happened that when the angels had gone from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go to Bethlehem and see this event which the Lord has made known to us.' So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the ___________ said to them. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the __________ went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as they had been told."

 

This painting by Batolome MURILLO was painted in 1655. You can see it in The Prado Museum. Choose its title.

 

I give you a clue. Read the text of the Gospel of Luke 2,15-20:

"Now it happened that when the angels had gone from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go to Bethlehem and see this event which the Lord has made known to us.' So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds said to them. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as they had been told."

This work by Luca GIORDANO was painted in 1688. It is entitled "The Adoration of the shepherds". What message did Luke want to convey in his gospel by telling us that the shepherds were the first ones to go and adore Jesus in the stable?

In his gospel Luke tells us that the shepherds were the first ones to go and adore Jesus. What message did he want to transmit us?
GIORGIONE,The Adoration of the shepherds, painted around 1500, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC,USA

Look at this miniature by the LIMBOURG brothers. Which scene is represented in this image?. Read in the Gospel of Luke 2,9-10.

What does this image represent? This is a romanic wall painting from the Pantheon of St. Isidoro in Leon, Spain

This is a text from the Gospel of Matthew 2,1-12. There are some missing words in it, could you indicate which ones?

 

" After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, suddenly some _______ _______ came to Jerusalem from the east asking, 'Where is the infant king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.' When King Herod heard this he was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem. He called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, 'At Bethlehem in Judaea, for this is what the prophet wrote: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means the least among the leaders of Judah, for from you will come a leader who will shepherd my people Israel.' Then Herod summoned the _______ _______ to see him privately. He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared and sent them on to Bethlehem with the words, 'Go and find out all about the child, and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.' Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And suddenly the star they had seen rising went forward and halted over the place where the child was. The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. But they were given a warning in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way."

 

In order to help you there is here a painting by Fra Angelico, dated from 1423, and housed in the Abegg Foundation, Bern (Switzerland)

Matthew introduces in his gospel (Mt 2,1) some foreigners that come from the east and have nothing to do with the Jewish culture and religion. These foreigners are looking for the infant king of the Jews. They go to Bethlehem and seeing Jesus with his mother Mary, fall to their knees and do him homage. This is Matthew's way to confess that Jesus message is for all people on earth and not only for the people of Israel. In art this event has been represented in many ways. You can see here one of these works of art. How is it entitled?

This painting by Andrea MANTEGNA is entitled "The Adoration of the Magi".

The scene represents the gospel story of Matthew 2,1-12. Which message does he try to pass on to us?

Which date does the Catholic community celebrate what is represented in this painting (by Albrecht DÜRER, dated from 1504)

What does this image represent?


I give you a clue: Read this biblical text form the Gospel of Matthew 2,13-15:

" After they had left, suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.' So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I called my son out of Egypt.""

Title of the painting which represents the episode described in the Gospel of Matthew 2:13-15

"After they had left, suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
'Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.'
So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I called my son out of Egypt."

In this painting Fra ANGELICO represents the flight into Egypt . While the wise men acknowledge Jesus as the infant King of the Jews, king Herod rejects him and tries to do away with Jesus. Joseph, warned in a dream by the angel of the Lord, flees to Egypt with Mary and Jesus. Then king Herod had all male children killed, who were two years or less, in Bethlehem. Which message does Matthew want to pass on by means of the episode of the flight into Egypt?

The Flight into Egypt has been a popular subject showing Mary with the baby on a donkey, led by Joseph. This biblical event is described in the Gospel of Matthew 2:13-15. In art there is also a non-Biblical subject showing the Holy Family resting on the journey, the Rest on the Flight to Egypt, often accompanied by angels.

Pay attention to this work of art by Harmenszoon van Rijn REMBRANDT and click on the correct title.

Bartolome Esteban MURILLO (1617-1682), painting dated from 1665.

In Genesis 17:12 says: "As soon as he is eight days old, everyone of your males, generation after generation, must be circumcised..." This norm of the Law of Moses was strictly performed, because of this there is no doubt about the historicity of the Gospel of Luke 2: 21 where it says: "When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception."

I show you here a representation of the circumcision of Jesus. But... what is a circumcision?

This wall painting by Fra ANGELICO is entitled "Circumcision". It dates from 1452 and it's housed in the Museum of St. Mark in Florence, Italy.

Read the following text of Luke 2:21: "When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception." Afterwards mark the title of this painting by RUBENS.

The painting dates from 1605; its dimensions are 1,05 x 0,74 m, This painting is in the Museum of Fine Arts in Vienne, Austria.

Click on the title of this painting by REMBRANDT.

What is the title of this painting by RAPHAEL?.

As you already know, the gospels are not history books and they don't want to be so either. Sometimes they incorporate historical facts and narratives that try to explain who was Jesus for the early Christians. One of these episodes is in the Gospel of Matthew 2:16-18; he tries to convey that in Jesus are fulfilled all the prophecies of the Old Testament and that he is the expected Messiah. Read the biblical text in Matthew 2:16-18:

"Herod was furious on realising that he had been fooled by the wise men, and in Bethlehem and its surrounding dristict he had all the male children killed who were two years old or less, reckoning by the date he had been careful to ask the wise men.Then were fulfilled the words spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamenting and weeping bitterly; it is Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted because they are no more."


Bearing this reading in mind, what scene is it represented in this painting, dated from 1383?

As you already know, the gospels are not history books and they don't want to be so either. Sometimes they incorporate historical facts and narratives that try to explain who was Jesus for the early Christians. One of these episodes is in the Gospel of Matthew 2:16-18, where he tries to convey that in Jesus are fulfilled all the prophecies of the Old Testament and that he is the expected Messiah.

Bearing that text in mind, what is represented in this wall painting?

In his gospel, Luke speaks about Jesus' circumcision and presentation in the Temple in order to indicate that he accepts and observes all the prescriptions of the Jewish Law. Could you say which one of the following planks in this Tryptich by Rogier van der WEYDEN matches "The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple"?



A clue: read the text of the Gospel of Luke 2:21-24; it says: " When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception. And when the day came for them to be purified in keeping with the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord _observing what is written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consacrated to the Lord_ and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is prescribed in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."

Bearing in mind that the character at the center of the image is Simeon, what does this painting represent?

The text of Luke 2: 21-24 says: "When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception. And when the day came for them to be purified in keeping with the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord _observing what is written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consacrated to the Lord_ and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is prescribed in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."

In the Gospel of Luke 2:41-52 it says that when Jesus was twelve years old, he and his family went up to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When the days of the feast were over, Jesus' family went off home but he stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. When they failed to find Jesus among their relatives, Jesus' parents went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere; three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers.

Now you have to click on the painting's title and on the names of the two people, who appear on the left side of the image in this painting/tabla by Abraham HONDIUS, that it is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.


The text of Luke 2:41-52 says: "Every year his parents used to go to Jerusalemf or the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual. When the days of the feast were over and they set off home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was somewhere in the party, and it was only after a day's journey that they went to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they failed to find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere. It happened that, three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. They were overcome when they saw him, and his mother said to him, 'My child, why have you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.' He replied, 'Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?' But they did not understand what he meant. He went down with them then and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority. His mother stored up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and with people."