And so this is Christmas

Whether it's a rosy-cheeked girl wrapped up warm, sun-bathed sheep at twilight or a snow-blanketed apple orchard, myriad pictures sum up the festive season, as 16 friends of COUNTRY LIFE tell Carla Passino

- Carla Passino

THE roots of Christmas art lie deep in the underbelly of Rome, Italy. The Catacombs of Priscilla, home to the remains of seven popes and more than 350 martyrs, conceal what is perhaps the first-ever 'festive' painting: an Adoration of the Magi dating from the reign of Emperor Gallienus (AD253–268). On that bedrock, an entire iconography was built: the ensuing 17 centuries saw a cascade of Adorations (of shepherds, as well as Wise Men), Nativities and, increasingly, secular illustrations of rosy-cheeked children, snowy landscapes and decorated trees. Thus, although almost everyone has a picture that 'means Christmas' to them, no two are the same—as this survey of artists, composers, authors and other notable friends of COUNTRY LIFE reveals.

By the book

Lauren Child chooses Seasons, 1969, by John Burningham (1936–2019)

'The illustrator John Burningham has a special talent for depicting the weather—and winter is something he illustrates beautifully. For me, it is his picture book, Seasons, published in 1969, that especially conjures winter and Christmas, although “Christmas” is never actually shown. That said, I sense its coming in the scratchiness of the skeleton trees, the birds decorating the silhouetted branches, the cosiness of the lit windows, the early dusk, the way the sun sits heavy in the sky and that shift of focus that a snowfall brings. He captures all this perfectly and it is these things that call Christmas to mind, more so than any tinsel decorations could.