The
Nativity of Jesus has been a major subject of
Christian art since the 4th century. The artistic depictions of the
Nativity or birth of
Jesus, celebrated at
Christmas, are based on the narratives in the Bible, in the
Gospels of
Matthew and
Luke, and further elaborated by written, oral and artistic tradition. Christian art includes a great many representations of the
Virgin Mary and the
Christ Child. Such works are generally referred to as the "
Madonna and Child" or "Virgin and Child". They are not usually representations of the
Nativity specifically, but are often devotional objects representing a particular aspect or attribute of the Virgin Mary, or Jesus.
Nativity pictures, on the other hand, are specifically illustrative, and include many narrative details; they are a normal component of the sequences illustrating both the
Life of Christ and the
Life of the Virgin.