Celebrating Christmas through art: Five inspirational paintings

Nativity scenes, one of the most central and recognizable themes in early Christian art, have been depicted throughout history through various mediums including mosaics, sculptures and paintings. But what about artworks that capture the excitement of celebrating during this holiday season?

Christmas, which of course today entails rushing to get everything ready, decorating, wrapping gifts during the cold snowy season, has also been a great source of inspiration for many European artists. Here we look at five inspirational Christmas paintings created over the past centuries.