A small carved rococo Nativity scene from the Municipal Museum's collection in Bratislava, exhibited in one of the historical halls in premises of the Apponyi's Palace, belongs to the most notable style Nativity scenes in Slovakia. It was purchased for the museum from the Nunnery of Ursulines in 1940, but there are no written mentions about it.
Wood carver created numerically reduced composition of Worship of shepherds in this Nativity scene. On the common pedestal, standing on four ornamental legs stylised as paws and decorated with relief gliding rococo ornaments at the front, the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and two shepherds are arranged around the manger with the Christ child. The background of the scene formed by a fragment of the wall with a thatched roof and coloured imitation of a brick wall, completed by naturalistically painted relief details of vegetation. At the top of the asymmetric pyramid composition, there is an angel floating in the clouds.
The Nativity scene was certainly created by a well-qualified wood carver of high artistic qualities and even though he is still unknown, his work rightfully belongs to the most precious monuments from that period.

MA, Zuzana Francová
Municipal Museum in Bratislava