78 CHRISTMAS THROUGH THE EYES OF PAINTERS The adoration of Mary We have already encountered this altarpiece by Master Francke, painted in 1424 and preserved in the Hamburg Kunsthalle; one panel of it, the Adoration of the Magi, showed good Joseph carefully putting the precious gifts from theMagi in a safe place. But there is no trace left of this amused condescension in the star-studded Nativity that is its counterpart. Joseph is absent from it, and a type of unaccustomed depiction makes its appearance: Mary is no longer stretched out, but rather kneels before the Infant, who emits a luminous radiance. This innovation is registeredwithin a context that repeats traditional elements: the mountain, the place of the divine presence; the earth (Master Francke, The Nativity, Hamburg Altarpiece, 1424) Mary is no longer stretched out, but rather kneels before the Child, who emits a luminous radiance. Under the influence of the mystics, the theme of adoration has replaced the theme of childbirth.
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