Depictions of the birth of Christ on icons help believers remember this important event and make present its message of salvation. The icons also give people a reason to start singing liturgical hymns.
This icon depicts the Nativity scene in front of a cave in the open countryside, as is customary in the Byzantine tradition. The icon painter, who worked in a naturalistic and dynamic style, incorporated elements from Western Catholic shepherd scenes into his painting: the Virgin Mary kneels alongside Joseph in a posture of adoration next to the child in the manger. Integrated into the background landscape are the arrival of the Magi (top left), the announcement to the shepherds by the heavenly hosts, and the murder of the children by Herod’s soldiers (top right). The golden ray of light emanating from the symbol of God, the Eye of God, above, descending to earth and reaching the Christ Child lying in the manger, connects the image of the star of Bethlehem with the idea of the Messiah according to the Nicene Creed: the Messiah is “Light from Light, true God from true God.”