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In the midst of so much frenzied activity, Christmas has turned
into a day for being with friends and family, eating good food,
and giving and receiving presents. It is easy to forget the most
important reason for the festival: the birth of Jesus. To remind
us, we may have a Nativity scene in church or in our own home. At
the Jerónimos Monastery we also celebrate the happiness of
Christmas time in many different ways.
The tradition of having a Nativity scene at Christmas is very
old. In Portugal the first known public one dates back to the
16th century. Since
then, many others have been made for churches, royal palaces
and private houses. It was in the 17th century that the biggest
and most beautiful Nativity scenes were created.
Some have
survived from this period, and are carefully looked after
so that we can still enjoy them at Christmas time. They may
be seen throughout the year in Lisbon at the Museum of Ancient
Art, the Sé Cathedral, the Estrela Basilica, or at
the Madre de Deus Convent.
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Nativity scene,
MNAA
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Nativity scene,
MNAA
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It is a wonderful experience to be able to see the beauty of
the Infant Jesus up close, the happy face of His Mother, the
delight of the shepherds, the glowing robes of the Three Kings,
the magnificence of the men on horseback and so many other details,
and in addition hearing the music played by the musicians.
All the
figurines of the antique Nativity scenes were made of clay,
moulded with a lot of patience and creativity by people working
together.
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Master
craftsmen oversaw the mangers as they took shape, modelling
the principle figures and coordinating the work of apprentices,
who made the remainder of the figures under the close supervision
of the master craftsman.
Amongst
the most famous master craftsmen in Portugal were Machado
de Castro, António Ferreira, Barros Laborão,
and Manuel Teixeira. They usually made only the particular
pieces in which they specialised. For example, the most beautiful
horse processions came from the hands of António Ferreira,
while Manuel Teixeira was a specialist in making musical angels.
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Nativity scene,
MNAA
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Nativity scene,
MNAA
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Machado de Castro was a true master in the art of modelling
figures representing scenes of the daily life of people working
in the fields. He did it with so much imagination and realism
that everything appeared to come to life to celebrate the
birth of Jesus: shepherds and their flocks, women with baskets
of eggs on their heads, musicians playing violins, children
playing, soldiers on horseback, farm workers in brightly coloured
clothes with wooden carts, food being prepared, the river,
boats, windmills...
All these
figures were placed in a structure made of wood, cork and
a special kind of moss called "torrão".
The craftsmen
used the forms and textures of these materials to give the
Nativity scene different levels, platforms and corners, around
which all the images could be distributed.
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The master craftsman competed to build the best Nativity scenes. At
the very front they put the principle figures -_ the baby Jesus, Our
Lady and St. Joseph - with a donkey and a cow, the Three Kings offering
presents, some shepherds and angels.
Behind
them, they put the groups of soldiers, pilgrims, horse riders
and dancers. These were usually displayed alongside scenes from
the first years of Jesus' life, such as the Killing of the Innocents,
the Flight to Egypt etc.
At the back on a higher level are the walls of the city of Jerusalem,
with its gates, towers, battlements, as well as peoples homes.
A blue sky and a large shining star complete the whole. |
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Nativity scene,
MNAA
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O
King Manuel I ordered the building of the Monastery, dedicated to
Saint Mary of Belém, in remembrance of the town (Bethlehem)
where Jesus was born and where the Three Kings came to worship Him,
bringing presents of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
As with other
great convents and monasteries, the Jerónimos Monastery owned
a large and very beautiful Nativity scene, which had been made in
the 18th century. . It was situated in the Church, in the side chapel
of the Transept beside the Gospel (on the right hand side). It was
close to the tomb of King Sebastião and occupied most of
the chapel. The figures were life size, and were hand carved with
a great deal of care. Its fame was such that people travelled from
far and wide to see it, but those who liked to come and see it most
were the children who used to live in Belém at that time.
It was destroyed in the 19th century and today we have only the
memory of how it used to look.
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Jerónimos
Monastery, detail of the Main Portal
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When
you visit the Monastery, you will see different art forms (stone
sculptures, canvas paintings, stained glass works, images in
the altars) all with themes linked to Christmas - the Annunciation
by the Angel, Our Lady, the Birth of the baby Jesus, the Adoration
of the Three Kings (also called Magi or Wise Men), the nativity
scene. In
all, there are ten representations in the Monastery, although
different artists made them, in various materials and at different
times, they were conceived with the same end - to remember
and glorify the baby Jesus.
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