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Star of Bethlehem

December 22, 2007
18:03 PM

When I was a child my very favourite books at home were a three volume set of The World’s Greatest Paintings.
This was a set of reproductions of what was thought (in the 1930s) to be the best of all paintings with reproductions from galleries from all over the world.

I used to devour these paintings and my greatest pleasure was to lie on the floor flicking over the paintings and living vicariously through the pictures.

I have inherited the, now very tatty, volumes and realise that, being British productions they have a very high proportion of English Artists , loads of Constables,Gainsboroughs etc but no sign of Italian masters like Piero della Francesca.

One of my very favourite paintings was called The Star of Bethlehem which was painted by the British Pre-Raphaelite Burne Jones.
This shows a vulnerable and cold looking child snuggling into his mother in front of the three kings, naked and frightened.
His mother looks remarkably unimpressed by the kings and seems to be sulking.
It makes an interesting contrast with the more usual super confident infant distributing blessings and his beneficent mother.
Here is the detail that I enjoyed.

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