Birth of Jesus with Magi and Celestial Observers (work of art)
Artwork Info
Key Ideas
- Ancent Soi was a self-taught artist from Kenya. His paintings mix Catholic imagery with the worldviews and spiritual beliefs of Indigenous peoples.
- This painting adapts Christian figures and symbolism for a Kenyan audience. Many of Soi’s paintings, including this one, depict scenes of rural life in Kenya.
- Artistic depictions of the Nativity, or birth of Jesus Christ, are often seen on church altars and frescoes. These are objects of devotion that also show viewers what devotion looks like.
Learn More
Birth of Jesus with Magi and Celestial Observers depicts the story of the Nativity, or the birth of Jesus Christ, as described in the Bible. The story involves the Magi, or Three Wise Men, who followed a star to Bethlehem to find the newborn King of the Jews. This story has been interpreted as a celestial event that guided the Magi.
Scenes depicting the Nativity are a recurring theme in Christian art. They are generally found in church settings, as altarpieces, frescoes, and sculptures. They serve as both objects of devotion and visual examples of worshippers in the act of devotion.
In this painting African artist Ancent Soi adapts traditional Christian figures and symbolism for a Kenyan audience. Soi, who passed away in 2022, is one of Kenya’s most celebrated artists. He began his painting career while he was working at a city market in Nairobi. He sold wood carvings and paintings at the market, and his artwork gained widespread popularity within the city.
I paint to please myself. If other people like them, I am flattered but it is not very important. I do not want to change my way of life.
Ancent Soi
Soi was a self-taught artist who started off painting in watercolors. He later switched to creating oil paintings on canvas. Many of his paintings depict scenes of traditional ceremonies, childhood memories, and rural life in Kenya. His work mixes Catholic imagery with indigenous cosmology, or the worldviews and spiritual beliefs of Indigenous peoples. In 1971 Soi won a design competition for African artists. He received a gold medal and the opportunity to design a poster for the 1972 Munich Olympics.
Additional Resources
Resources for Teachers
- Read the artist’s biography.
- Visit a virtual exhibition of paintings by Ancent Soi and two of his family members.
Resources for Students
- Explore more paintings by Ancent Soi.
- View the poster Soi designed for the 1972 Munich Olympics.
Images
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Birth of Jesus with Magi and Celestial Observers
A colorful oil painting depicting the Nativity, or birth of Jesus Christ. All of the figures have dark skin tones, black hair, and bare feet. The adult figures are wearing long robes in solid pastel tones. At the bottom center of the painting, an infant Jesus is swaddled in white fabric and emanates a golden light. His parents, Joseph and Mary, are seated to his right, gazing down at him. A figure is standing behind them, in the right corner of the painting, cradling a lamb. Three kneeling figures are depicted to the left of baby Jesus. Above this scene, at the center of the painting, is a bold red circle with three blue fish forming a smaller circle inside it. The blue fish frame the image of a pink-winged figure flanked by two smaller winged figures wearing white robes. All three angel figures hold their hands in a gesture of prayer. In the background there is a herd of pastel-toned, horned cattle. Above the cattle, at the top of the painting, is a section of blue sky.