The Birth of the Virgin
Spain ruled vast portions of Europe during the seventeenth century, including the Kingdom of Naples in present-day Italy and Flanders in present-day Belgium. The result was a complex cultural and artistic web, particularly around the maintenance of the Catholic faith. Painted in Naples in the 1690s, early in Solimena’s long career, this altarpiece reveals a close relationship to the painter Rubens, who was highly sought after at the Spanish court, as well as the painter Luca Giordano, who had moved in 1692 from Naples to Madrid to work for King Charles II. When this painting was acquired by The Met in 1906, it was believed to be by Giordano; by the 1970s, however, scholars had reattributed it to Solimena.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Birth of the Virgin
- Artist: Francesco Solimena (Italian, Canale di Serino 1657–1747 Barra)
- Date: ca. 1690
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 80 1/2 x 67 1/4 in. (204.5 x 170.8 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1906
- Object Number: 07.66
- Curatorial Department: European Paintings
More Artwork
Related Content
Timeline of Art History
Entries and chronologies from The Met's art encyclopedia.
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.
Content Notice
The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.