ADVENT CALENDAR 2022
Nativity figures made from wood and fabric by Original Heide, Val Gardena, Italy, with a setting by Navidad Nativities in Bucks County, PA, in 2015. Glencairn Museum collection, Bryn Athyn, PA.
24. BRYN ATHYN NATIVITY
Bryn Athyn Nativity honors the architectural legacy of Raymond Pitcairn, who supervised the design and construction of both Bryn Athyn Cathedral and Glencairn, and also his particular love for the story of the Nativity and the celebration of Christmas. Michael Joseph Stumpf and A.J. DiAntonio of Navidad Nativities created the architectural setting in wood, stone and other natural materials in their Bucks County, Pennsylvania, atelier. The Renaissance-style Nativity figures belong to the Immanuel Collection, made by Original Heide, a family workshop in the Italian Alps in the Val Gardena valley. All of the figures were hand carved in wood. The drapery of the clothing was stiffened and painted with acrylic paints.
Pitcairn’s artistic vision and attention to detail inspired the Navidad artists to create this tribute in miniature. Drawing from their favorite elements in each of the buildings, Navidad developed a design that represents their own interpretation of the historical and architectural relationship between Bryn Athyn Cathedral and Glencairn. The lavender glow surrounding the Holy Family duplicates the light in the sanctuary of the actual Cathedral, produced when the sun streams through the red and blue glass in the side windows. Glencairn’s Upper Hall is reproduced on the right-hand side of this Nativity.
Visit us at Follow the Star: A 2022 Advent Calendar.