The Nativity of Christ, with Shepherds and Kings in Adoration 1779 - 1847

Giuseppe Bernardino Bison created this pen and brown wash drawing of the Nativity, now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, using quick, sweeping lines to capture a dynamic scene. The composition is structured around the stable's architecture, where strong diagonal lines converge to draw our eyes to the central figures of the Holy Family. Bison uses light and shadow sparingly, focusing instead on the expressive quality of the line to define form and space. This selective use of detail lends an ethereal quality to the scene, enhancing its spiritual tone. The figures are rendered with an economy of line. The overall effect is one of immediacy, capturing the awe and reverence of the moment. The angel hovers in the upper space, echoing the architectural lines and connecting the earthly and heavenly realms through the dynamism of line and form. Bison's formal approach serves not just to depict a religious scene, but to explore themes of divine revelation.