Lot Essay
In this characteristic representation of the Nativity, with the shepherds in adoration beyond, various elements are derived from apocryphal additions to the account found in the Gospels. Thus, the devout and attentive attitudes of the ox and the ass are probably inspired by the legend that they warmed the Infant Saviour with their breath. Similarly, the fact that Saint Joseph holds a lamp is ultimately derived from a passage from the vision of the Nativity of Saint Bridget of Sweden, in which she wrote that the radiance of the Christ Child outshone any earthly light. The motif must have been passed down from artist to artist, and it is uncertain how many can have had any idea of the original reason for its inclusion.