Reproductie van een verluchting van de geboorte van Maria before 1864

Franz Kellerhoven made this reproduction of an illuminated manuscript showing the birth of Mary sometime before 1872, probably using watercolor. The image draws on the visual codes of Byzantine art to depict a scene central to Christian belief. Mary’s birth signifies her unique status and paves the way for the birth of Jesus. Religious institutions in Europe have always promoted imagery relating to key figures like Mary. The original manuscript was made many centuries earlier. Kellerhoven’s reproduction reflects the 19th-century art world's fascination with medieval art. It was a period in which intellectuals searched for a distinct national character in the culture of the Middle Ages. They often viewed the church with suspicion while embracing what they imagined to be the purer faith of the medieval era. To better understand this image, historians will examine the original manuscript, the artist's other works, and the prevailing attitudes toward religion and national identity in 19th-century Europe. This helps us understand the social life of art.