1. The scene of Nativity in Byzantine painting



Fresco, Perivleptos, Mystras 15th century



The scene of Nativity as we know it today, appears  as early as the 12th century approximately. From then on it is repeated with small changes and diversifications. In this scene we can find condensed all the principles of the Orthodox painting -and the Orthodox faith in general: simplicity/modesty (no unnecessary adornment), "charmolipi" (not to be totaly happy or totally in dispair), spirituality...

Indeed, simplicity is evident if we compare to Nativities of Western painting: simple natural environment, simple figures, not many buildings in sight -if not at all...

The same goes for the spirituality of the image: the figures are depicted with the Byzantine style, the hills and mountains are multilevel parallel terraces, the perspective appears distorted and also events that happened at different points of time are depicted in the same picture (here for example the newly-born Christ can be seen in the cave and at the same time and  closer to the viewer, baby Christ is bathed by Salome and the midwife. This simultaneous depiction of different events in one painting can be encountered quite often in the Greek folk painting in the years following the fall of Byzantium). All these transfer us to a world different from and  beyond our material world.



Cretan Icon fom Venice, 16th century

And then, there is "charmolipi", the condition where nothing cannot - and should not- elate or sadden entirely, or in other words the modesty we have to face our life with, without exaggerations because every joy contains the seed of grief and every grief contains the seed of joy (reminding of the ancient Greek "metro"/"measure" and the Chinese Yin and Yang): we can see the cave as a hole in the rock (according to the secret gospel of Jacob) that seems like a grave and Christ swaddled the way dead people were shrouded those days. The joy of the Birth contains the imminent Crucifixion - that brings, in turn, the joy of the Salvation! the animals next to Christ, a cow and a donkey remind us, the donkey on one hand-a means of transport those days, we can find the donkey again in the "Escape to Egypt" and much later in the victorious entry of Christ into Jerusalem- the course of Jesus toward the Cross, the cow, as a sacrificial animal, on the other hand,  denotes the sacrifice of Christ.  




Fresco, Pantanassa Monastery, Mystras 15th century



Also participating in the scene, the Magi, the simple folk shepherds and the Angels. It is interesting to see Josef sitting away from the baby and the mother, thoughtful and with his back -usually- turned to them while in some cases Josef can be seen talking with an old shepherd. In fact Josef is listening to the shepherd - who is the Devil disguised, in some post-Byzantine icons the iconographers add a reptilian-like tail hanging out of his hide coat(!)- who is obviously explaining to Josef why he can't be the father of the baby. The sad face of Josef expresses the reaction of a simple folk man to that kind of news, however it is this folk simplicity/naiveté that will guide Josef out of those provocative thoughts.

Finally Virgin Mary, in the central point of the image, most of the times appears laying next to her newly-born son loosely, after a painless delivery, and hugs the viewer (and all the humanity) with a look of sadness (because of the pains that are expecting her son) and tenderness.




Icon from Saint Catherine Monastery, Mount Sinai 12th century

The faces do not betray joy -conforming with the previously mentioned "charmolipi"- but surprise, disappointment (Josef) or a glorifying disposition (angels) whereas in some cases the shepherd-Devil is the only figure with signs of joy in his face!