This season, encounter the Neapolitan Presepio as never before, situated in our galleries. For the first time, this cherished fixture will be exhibited in proximity to paintings and sculptures in the collection, contextualizing the artwork. Sharing a gallery with Pre-Raphaelite masterpieces such as The Nativity and The King and the Shepherd by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, visitors will be able to enjoy and reflect on the Presepio in an inspiring and new context.
The Presepio, a centuries-old tradition in Naples and southern Italy, is an elaborate Nativity scene recreated with miniature figures arranged in a detailed panorama of 18th-century life in Naples. Handmade by artists between 1700 and 1830, Carnegie Museum of Art’s vibrant Neapolitan Presepio, one of the finest examples of its kind, features superbly modeled human, animal, and angelic figures, accessories, and architectural elements. A visit to the Presepio has been a cherished holiday tradition for many visitors since 1957.
