The Age of Augustus, The Birth of Christ is an 1854 religious painting by leading French Academic artist Jean-Léon Gérôme. It is located in the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, United States.
Analysis of The Age of Augustus, The Birth of Christ
This is a vast and hugely populated history painting he finished in 1854, Jean-Léon Gérôme portrayed the triumph of Augustus the first Roman emperor crowned in a laurel wreath on high in the center background.
This ostentatious show of power is counterpointed by the humble scene of the Nativity of Christ directly below in the foreground as Mary and Joseph pay tribute to the infant Jesus.
Surrounded by moments of cruelty and fervor that underlie Roman glory, the Christian scene is a model of quiet devotion and a lack of concern with worldly materialism.