The Nativity

Ludwig Krug

National Gallery of Art

This is a drawing of several figures around an infant in a rustic setting. The image is done in the style of a classic religious or allegorical scene. The scene is set in what appears to be a stable or structure with exposed brick, archways, and simple materials. There's a focus on an infant lying in a manger, surrounded by attendees who are gathered closely. One figure stands to the left, holding a crook. In the background, through the arched opening, a landscape is visible featuring a barren tree and distant figures. Detailed etching work emphasizes the texture of fabric, wood, and stone, typical of fine linework in early 16th-century engravings.