The Nativity by Lorenzo Lotto is an oil on panel painting dated 1523, depicting the birth of Jesus. The composition centers on the infant Christ lying in a woven crib, flanked by the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, both kneeling in adoration. The setting is a rustic stable with a thatched roof, rendered in warm earth tones and illuminated by soft, natural light. Above the holy family, three angels hover beneath the eaves, holding a scroll inscribed with text.

In the left background, a crucifix is visible against a darkened wall, foreshadowing Christ’s future sacrifice. The landscape beyond the stable opens onto distant hills under a blue sky, providing depth and contrast to the intimate foreground. Lotto’s use of color is vivid, with Mary’s blue mantle and Joseph’s ochre robe standing out against the muted tones of the stable. This painting is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Created during Lorenzo Lotto’s mature period, the work reflects the artist’s interest in expressive gesture and psychological intimacy within religious narratives. The date of 1523 places it among Lotto’s significant religious commissions of the early sixteenth century, a time when he was active in northern Italy.