PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Switzerland; Julius Weitzner, London, 1951; BJU, 1951; M&G, 2004.

As his name indicates, Jan Swart came from the town of Groningen. Besides being a painter, he was also a book illustrator and designer of stained-glass windows. No documents tell of his training, but his style betrays the influences of Jan Gossaert and Jan van Scorel . His work is often confused with his contemporary Pieter Coecke van Aelst. Several figures in this work depict Swart's fondness for showing people in high hats, turbans, and other unusual headgear.

The artist beautifully depicts several of the most familiar Christmas story events in exquisite detail and brilliant colors. The central panel shows the adoration of the wise men that traveled from faraway lands to offer their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The broken column symbolizes the brevity of life, especially Christ's life that was cut short. The panel to the left shows a nativity scene with angels, Mary, and Joseph worshiping God the Son. Instead of a manger, Christ lies on a broken column of stone, again symbolizing brevity of life and that He was born to die. In the distance the angel announces the birth to the shepherds as they tend their flocks. In the wing panel to the right, the Family rests on their flight into Egypt. The pathway above Joseph illustrates the legend that pagan idols fell to the ground and broke as the Holy Family passed by.