Nativity of Jesus 1669

Josefa de Óbidos created this oil painting of the Nativity of Jesus sometime in the 17th century, in Portugal. Her work displays both the influence of Spanish Baroque painting, and a distinctly Portuguese attention to the still life elements in the foreground. But let's consider the interesting fact that Óbidos was a woman in a world of male artists. How did she manage to succeed? Well, we know that she benefitted from her father’s position as a painter, as well as the patronage of the Portuguese monarchy and religious orders. Óbidos became known for her depictions of female saints, but it may have been the appeal to elite tastes for still life that gained her entry into prominent collections. It is not difficult to imagine that the church may have also found a use for the work of a talented and pious woman in a time of religious conflicts. Looking at this painting today, it is important to remember that our view of it is mediated by the cultural norms and institutions that have shaped its production and reception over centuries.