Nativity of the Virgin

The painting "Nativity of the Virgin" by Pietro Lorenzetti, created between 1335 and 1342, is a captivating masterpiece currently displayed at the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo in Siena, Italy. Originally adorning the altar of St. Sabinus in the Siena Cathedral, this artwork was part of a series of four altarpieces dedicated to Siena's patron saints, crafted between 1330 and 1350. Esteemed artists such as Simone Martini, Lippo Memmi, Ambrogio Lorenzetti, and Bartolomeo Bulgarini contributed to this series, each depicting scenes from the life of the Madonna. These pieces were designed to complement Duccio di Buoninsegna's renowned "Maestà."

Lorenzetti's painting is a triptych, set within a single room featuring vaults that mirror the shape of the panel. The scenes are divided by white piers and painted with a somewhat rudimentary geometrical perspective. A starry night sky, a characteristic of Gothic architecture of the time, serves as the backdrop.

In the left scene, we see Joachim, Mary's father, waiting with a child and an elderly man in front of a Gothic palace courtyard. The central scene portrays St. Anne resting on a bed, attended by two women washing her newborn daughter, Mary. A woman in a red dress stands nearby, conversing with Anne and holding an object that might be a banner or a musical instrument. The right panel depicts two more women with washing accessories, enhancing the intimate domestic atmosphere of the scene.