Excerpt from Sandro Botticelli: The Nativity, in the National Gallery, London<br><br>Before a semi-circle of green trees rises a hillock Of striated rock. Upon the rock is set the thatched roof of a pent-house, the corners of which rest on severed tree trunks. A cave pierces the centre Of the rock, whence we look out on to the trees and field behind (fig. Outside the entrance to the cave is the kneeling figure of the Virgin, her head in profile and her fair hair and light blue cloak Offset against the grey flank of the ass. From the ground, supported on a pannier covered with a cloth, the Child, with one hand in His mouth and one leg raised, looks up at her; beside Him, wearing a saffron-coloured cloak, there sits St. Joseph, his head relaxed in sleep or contemplation and his face hidden by his hand (fig. To the left, before a hedge of Olives, kneel three men in pink, dull green and yellow robes, each with an olive wreath, their attention directed to the central scene by a pink-clad angel holding a spray Of olive in his extended hand (fig. On the right are two more kneeling figures, wearing the same wreaths and the russet and grey dresses proper to artisans.<br><br>About the Publisher<br><br>Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com<br><br>This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.