The Nativity of Mary

CAVALLINI, Pietro (b. ca. 1250, Roma, d. 1330, Roma)
Nativity of the Virgin 1291
Mosaic
Santa Maria in Trastevere, Rome

In the Birth of the Virgin, the background appears like a simple stage set based on ancient Roman domestic architecture and shrines, while its inlaid ornament derives from Roman medieval sources.

The women setting a table by the mother's couch and the two midwives about to bathe the newborn Mary carry their bread, wine, and water with the solemnity of a ritual.