Natividade

Barocci made this in 1597 for Francesco Maria II della Rovere, the last duke of Urbino, whose small hill-court was nearing the end of its independent life. It is a night scene, and the only real light comes from the newborn child himself, throwing a glow up onto Mary's face as she kneels and folds her hands. Joseph stands in the doorway, turning to two shepherds who lean in from the dark outside, still half in their own world. Barocci worked slowly and was often unwell, building his colour in soft, chalky layers that leave the whole thing close to pastel in warmth. In 1605 the duke gave the painting to Spain, which is how it came to hang in Madrid rather than Urbino.