ADVENT CALENDAR 2022
Nativity made by Mariano da Conceição from painted terracotta in Estremoz, Portugal, in the 1940s or 1950s. Glencairn Museum collection, Bryn Athyn, PA. To view a zoomable version of this Nativity on Google Arts & Culture, click on the image.
14. NATIVITY FROM ESTREMOZ, PORTUGAL
This Nativity was made in Estremoz, Portugal, in the 1940s or 1950s by Mariano da Conceição (1902–1959). Nativities have been made in Estremoz since the second half of the eighteenth century. Modeled from local clay, the figures were created in response to the personal religious needs of the people, and sold to individuals of limited means. Simple figures like these were influenced by the more sophisticated Nativity scenes produced in Italy (Naples), and by Portuguese artists trained in the Mafra School of Sculpture. The more expensive scenes were made by trained artists and could be seen at local convents and in the houses of the noble families of Estremoz.
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