The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Neapolitan Nativity

The Holy Family figures of the Virgin, Infant Jesus, and St. Joseph on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual, 18th-century Neapolitan Nativity scene in New York City. Public Domain

One of New York City’s most beloved holiday traditions is The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s adornment of their Christmas tree with a Neapolitan Baroque crèche. It’s currently on view through Jan. 7, 2024.

Visitors make their way to the Museum’s Medieval Sculpture Hall, where they are greeted by a magnificent installation: Situated in front of a monumental 18th-century gilded Spanish choir screen is a 20-foot blue spruce. It is decked with 19 cherubs, 59 angels, and a further 71 figures. These finely crafted miniatures were made in Naples and mostly date from the second half of the 18th century. The tableau shows a three-dimensional Nativity, also called a crèche, which features vividly detailed and colorful vignettes of 18th-century Italian life.

Christmas Crèche

Christmas tree at Medieval Sculpture Hall inside The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. eddtoro/Shutterstock

Crèche is an art form in which figurines are crafted and then arranged to tell the story of Jesus Christ’s birth. The original tradition is said to have started with the Franciscans, with St. Francis creating the first one in 1223 to celebrate a Christmas Mass. These early figures were life-size and focused on portrayals of the Holy Family.

It was not until the 17th-century Baroque period that the objects’ scale became diminutive and the scope became broader to include people and animals from all walks of life. During this time, the Jesuits specialized in staging these Nativity scenes, introducing more theatrical elements. In Naples, the crèche became extremely popular and reached its zenith in the 1700s. These displays integrated biblical stories with the Mediterranean harbor city’s contemporaneous vibrant community. Spectacular examples were commissioned by aristocrats. Records show that at one time, a Bourbon king of Naples owned a collection of nearly 6,000 figures.

These objects were made by a range of people: artisans, nuns, textile manufacturers, and even renowned sculptors. Figures average between 12 and 15 inches in height, with their sizes varying according to their intended placement in the scene.

Their faces are made of painted terracotta (Italian for “baked earth”), while their bodies are formed by wire wrapped in a fiber called tow. Their arms and legs, which can be adjusted for different poses, are carved from wood. Clothes, sometimes made of silk, are often accented by accessories, embroidery, and jewels.

A Neapolitan Nativity

Angel, 18th century, attributed to Giuseppe Sanmartino. Polychromed terracotta head; wooden limbs and wings; body of wire wrapped in tow; various fabrics. Gift of Loretta Hines Howard, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Public Domain

Crèches reward a close look at their captivating details. Historically, a Neapolitan Nativity would not have been displayed with a Christmas tree. The Met’s approach with an “Angel Tree” gives their centuries-old Nativity a beautiful backdrop. Festooning the tree branches are twisting, charming cherubs and beautiful angels holding censers. The “windblown” flowing silk robes of the angels are a reference to the dramatic Baroque style favored by the Jesuits.

The base of the tree features the classic Nativity scene with the Holy Family, adoring shepherds and their flocks, and the procession of the Three Kings with attendants.

(L-R) Elderly king, Moorish king, and king, second half 18th century, Naples. Gift of Loretta Hines Howard, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Public Domain

Flanking this centerpiece are realistically rendered peasants and townspeople. Some are shown talking, walking, and going about with their day, unaware of the manger scene, while others turn to look at the Nativity.

Crèche figurines of townspeople with baskets of fruits and vegetables, second half 18th century, Naples. Gift of Loretta Hines Howard, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Public Domain

Among this elaborate panorama are also delightful, lifelike animals, including a camel, dogs, sheep, cows, and an elephant. In addition, architectural elements are featured, including the ruins of a temple inspired by one from the Roman Forum, houses, and an Italianate fountain.

Dog, cow, and standing sheep figurines, second half 18th century, Naples. Gift of Loretta Hines Howard, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Public Domain

The Holy Family figures of the Virgin, Infant Jesus, and St. Joseph are exquisitely modeled. These exceptional small-scale works of art have beautifully painted heads and expressively carved wooden hands. “Infant Jesus” along with several angels are attributed to the Neapolitan artist Giuseppe Sanmartino (1720–1793), one of the most prominent sculptors of his time and also known for monumental marble sculptures.

The Virgin, infant Jesus, and St. Joseph, second half 18th century, Attributed to Giuseppe Sanmartino. Gift of Loretta Hines Howard, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Public Domain

A detail of the Virgin's face from the crèche figurine by Giuseppe Sanmartino. Public Domain

Several of his pupils also created Nativity scenes, including Salvatore di Franco, to whom “Virgin” and “St. Joseph” are attributed. There are other crèche figures owned by The Met that can be linked with an artist. Nine were made by Lorenzo Mosca, who had a notable career: He was employed at the prestigious Royal Porcelain Factory at Capodimonte and was also stage director of the Royal Christmas Crib.

Collecting Statuettes

Mother and child on background, late 18th–early 19th century, Naples. Polychromed wood and terra cotta, cloth, straw, leather, metal, paper, cork. Gift of Loretta Hines Howard, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Public Domain

During the mid-19th century Risorgimento, the political and social movement that led to the unification of the Italian states into one Italy, some of the original owners of highly artistic crèche figures faced financial hardship. As a result, many sold off their collections. There was an active market of individuals and families interested in forming their own collections of these now-historic objects. One such family that acquired a number of works from different sources was the Neapolitan Catellos. They, too, fell on hard times after World War II, so descendant Eugenio Catello sold some of the collection in the 1950s.

One purchaser was the American painter Loretta Hines Howard, who had been collecting crèche figures since 1925. It was her idea to pair the traditional Nativity with a Christmas tree. This grouping was first publicly presented in 1957 at The Met. In 1964, she generously donated a significant portion of her crèche statuettes collection to the Museum, where they continue to be displayed each yuletide season.

This vivid Nativity shows that miracles are a part of everyday life. It captures the magic of Christmas and connects us with the people who first made and loved these figures nearly 300 years ago.

“Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche,” The Metropolitan Museum of Art,  New York City. Public Domain

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