Naples, Italy. Restricted gifts of Mr. and Mrs. James N. Bay and Linda and Vincent Buonanno and Family; Eloise W. Martin Legacy Fund; restricted gifts of Ruth Ann Gillis and Michael McGuinnis and Mrs. Robert O. Levitt; Charles H. and Mary F. Worcester Collection Fund
A hallmark of the holidays at the Art Institute, the museum’s spectacular Neapolitan Crèche features over 200 figures—including no less than 50 animals and 41 still-life objects—configured in an ornate cabinet with a painted backdrop. At first glance, the crèche tells a familiar story of the Nativity and the story of Christmas. A closer look, however, reveals a cross-section of Neapolitan life showcased through a Baroque theatricality that blends the sacred and the secular.
Join museum educator Jeff Nigro for a 30-minute talk uncovering the story behind this elaborate Christmas scene.
The “30 Minute” talk format offers a deep dive on a single topic featuring experts from across the museum.
The Holy Family
La Georgiana
Benito
The Chestnut Vendor
The Three Wise Men
About the Speaker
Jeffrey Nigro is both a research associate in the Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium and an adjunct lecturer in Interpretation at the Art Institute of Chicago. In his capacity as research associate, he assisted co-curators Lisa Ayla Çakmak and Katharine A. Raff with the exhibition Myth and Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture from the Torlonia Collection. Jeff also teaches adult education seminars at the Newberry Library. He is a frequent speaker for the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) and a former regional coordinator of the Greater Chicago region of JASNA. His essay “Georgian Fangirls: Women and Castrati in Eighteenth-Century London” appears in Women and Music in the Age of Austen, edited by Linda Zionkowski and Miriam Hart (Bucknell University Press, 2023).
If you have any questions about programming, please reach out to [email protected].
Closed captioning will be available for this program. For questions related to accessibility accommodations, please email [email protected].
