Adoration of the Christ Child

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Adoration of the Christ Child
Jacob Cornelisz van Amsterdam
c.1520
oil on panel
Art Institute of Chicago

Here we have another example of a nativity scene by a Dutch painter. The artist is also known as Jacob van Oousten. He is most known for his engraving and print work. Some scholars also note him as being one of the last painters from the Netherlands to not be influenced by Italian art.

Unlike van der Goes' image, this scene is busy with activity and sound. The holy family is in the foreground surrounded by angels, putti playing musical instruments and the shepherds. The space they inhabit is large, and more elaborate than the ruins of the artist's predecessor. The background is a lush garden instead of the bleak northern winter we have seen before.

What places this image in the Dutch style (aside from the artist's origin) is the attention to small details, creating an almost hyper-real feeling. You can pick out individual hairs hanging down Mary's back, or individual leaves in the trees and shrubs. While van der Goes was also a Dutch painter, his work exhibits a more simplistic style indicative of the Italians as they explore their classical heritage.