Skip to Main Content

Mary and Joseph Travel to Bethlehem, folio 24 (verso), from a Mirror of Holiness (Mir’at al-quds) of Father Jerome Xavier

1602–4
(1569–1627)
Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Page: 26.3 x 15.6 cm (10 3/8 x 6 1/8 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 2005.145.24.b
Location: not on view
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

Download, Print and Share

Description

Since the author of this book on the life of Christ did not specify the kind of animal that carried the heavily pregnant Mary to Bethlehem, the artist depicted her on a camel, strung with bells. He effectively conveys the harshness and discomfort of the journey by painting trees bending to wind, setting the travelers among rocky outcroppings, and surrounding her with strange men. Wearing a green coat, her husband Joseph carries a sword over his shoulder, suggesting that he is ready to face any potential trouble.
Mary and Joseph Travel to Bethlehem, folio 24 (verso), from a Mirror of Holiness (Mir’at al-quds) of Father Jerome Xavier

Mary and Joseph Travel to Bethlehem, folio 24 (verso), from a Mirror of Holiness (Mir’at al-quds) of Father Jerome Xavier

1602–4

Mughal India, Allahabad, made for Prince Salim (1569–1627)

See Also

Visually Similar Artworks

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.