Art is the imagination and creativity to produce visual work that communicate ideas and express emotions and feelings. From classic depictions to contemporary interpretations, old and modern Christmas art beautifully exemplifies what Christmas is about.
As we look into the history of Christmas art, we notice that pieces created many years ago focus on religious scenes (nativity), Victorian symbols like the holly and mistletoe, and use traditional Christmas colours such as red, green, and gold.
Modern day Christmas art focuses more on broader emotions (warmth, joy), using a style that is minimalist and expressive, and using colours such as pastels and vibrant hues.
Below are some examples of old and modern day Christmas art pieces.
Old Christmas Art
This art piece created by Durer is an oil-on-wood painting. It features the Virgin Mary and Christ Child adored by three kings. This painting symbolises Christ’s universal appeal. The background features the detailed ruins and a radiant landscape, demonstarting Durer’s mastery in fusing styles together. The colours used represent old Christmas pieces; red, green, and gold can be seen throughout. The painting also has the religious setting, which is typical of old Christmas art.
This art piece depicts the biblical scene where shepards worship the newborn Jesus in Bethlehem. The light focuses on Mary’s newborn child, emphasising his presence. This is an art piece that depicts the religious side of Christmas and uses the traditional colours of red and gold.
Modern day Christmas art
This art piece created by Matisse is a vibrant paper cut-out designed as a masquette for a large stained-glass window. It expresses the joys of life and festive spirit through dazzling colours, stars, and shapes. The art piece represents modern Christmas art through focusing on broader emotions, using vibrant colours and expressive shapes.
Joseph focuses his painting on capturing the spirit and beauty of a rural British winter. The painting shows a shepard guiding his sheep through a snowy landscape at sunset. The sunset creates a striking contrast between the white snow and the long shadows of the trees and sheep which helps to highlight different textures. This painting evidently is modern because it is a realist piece that represents British Christmas.
