INSIGHTS.
APPRECIATE IT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> FOR SIX WEEKS A DRAMATIC WORK
OF RELIGIOUS ART IS UNVEILED IN
CHICAGO.
THE CHRISTMAS SEASON IS THE ONLY
TIME TO SEE A RARE NATIVITY
SCENE THAT BLENDS SPIRITUAL AND
EARTHLY PURSUITS.
"CHICAGO TONIGHT" VISITED LAST
YEAR AND FOUND A PIECE OF ART
SEEN IN CHURCHES IN THE 18TH
CENTURY NAPLES.
HERE IS ANOTHER LOOK.
[♪♪♪]
>> IT'S CALLED A CRECHE.
IT IS A TRADITIONAL NATIVITY
SCENE WITH THE INFANT JESUS, THE
HOLY FAMILY AND THE THREE WISE
MEN.
BUT THIS ONE HAS A CAST OF
HUNDREDS.
>> A CRECHE IS A SCENE THAT AT
THE VERY CORE SHOWS THE SCENE OF
THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.
BUT THEN IN THE NEOPOLITAN
TRADITION THAT WE ARE SHOWING
YOU WILL SEE THAT THAT EXPANDS
TO A CAST OF CHARACTERS.
SO IT INCLUDES THE ARRIVAL OF
THE THREE KINGS, AND IT INCLUDES
THE ANNOUNCATION OF CHRIST'S
BIRTH TO THE SHEPHERDS AND A
TAVERN SCENE WHICH BRINGS THE
STREET LIFE OR CHARACTERS FROM
DAILY LIFE IN NAPLES IN THE 18TH
AND 19TH CENTURY.
>> YES, THE SURROUNDING SETTING
IS NAPLES NOT BETHLEHEM.
COSTUMES REFLECT THE NEOPOLITAN
FASHIONS OF THE LATE 18TH
CENTURY.
IT IS A MIX OF THE CONTEMPORARY
FOR THE ERA WITH THE ORIGIN
STORY OF CHRIST.
THIS CRECHE WAS MADE IN NAPLES
BEGINNING IN THE MID-1700'S BY
ARTIST AND CRAFTSMEN
COMMISSIONED BY THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH.
THEY WENT FOR BAROQUE.
>> THE MAKING OF THE CRECHE
BECAME PARTICULAR.
IT BECAME AN ASSEMBLY LINE
PROCESS WHERE ONE ART TIFT WOULD
SPECIAL LIGHT IN MAKING THE
HEADS OF THE FIGURES AND
PAINTING THEM AND ANOTHER ARTIST
WOULD MAKE THE WIRE ARMATURE OF
THE BODY THAT CAN BE MOLDED.
AN ARTIST WOULD MAKE THE
COSTUME.
ARTIST WOULD MAKE THE ANIMALS
THAT POPULATE THE SCENE AND ALSO
THE SMALL STILL LIFE OBJECTS SO
THE SILVER TABLE SETTINGS WERE
MADE BY A SILVER SMITH AND THE
INSTRUMENTS BY LOOP MAKERS.
[♪♪♪]
>> INSTALLED IN A 14 BY 15 FOOT
CABINET THE CRECHE IS A SCENE
FILLED TO THE CORNERS WITH
CRAFTED FIGURESSISM THE FIGURES
ARE MADE FROM A MIX OF MATERIALS
AND WE HAVE ON VIEW IN THE
GALLERY AN EXAMPLE HOW THE
FIGURES ARE PUT TOGETHER.
THE BODY OF THE FIGURE IS A WIRE
ARMATURE THAT IS COVERED IN A
HEMP LIKE, STRAW LIKE MATERIAL
TO THE ARMS AND LEGS CAN BE BENT
TO HELP THE AASSEMBLY OF THE
SCENE AND IT HAS A TERRACOTTA
HEAD THAT IS PAINTED AND THE
HANDS AND THE FEET ARE MADE OF
WOOD ORATOR RA COT TA AS WELL
AND A REAL SILK COSTUME IS PUT
ON TOP.
>> THE COSTUMES ARE THE REASON
THE CRECHE MUST REMAIN IN THE
DARK FOR MUCH OF THE YEAR.
>> WE ARE ONLY ABLE TO EXHIBIT
THE CRECHE FOR ABOUT SIX WEEKS A
YEAR AND THAT IS BECAUSE THE
STERILES ARE FRAGILE --
MATERIALS ARE FRAGILE AND THE
SILK COSTUMES ARE LIKELY TO FADE
SO IT HAS TO REST IN THE
DARKNESS FOR A MAJORITY OF THE
YEAR WHICH IS A GREAT EXCUSE FOR
US TO CELEBRATE IT AT
CHRISTMASTIME.
>> THERE ARE BELIEVED TO BE A
DOZEN CRECHES IN THE WORLD OF
THIS QUALITY AND SCALE.
THE ART INSTITUTE ACQUIRED
THEIRS FROM AN ITALIAN COLLECTOR
IN 2013.
IT WAS ASSEMBLED AND COMES FROM
DIFFERENT SOURCES.
THOUGH IT'S ONLY ON VIEW 40 DAYS
A YEAR, THE CRECHE IS TOO BIG TO
MOVE.
>> WHEN WE CLOSE ON THIS
EXHIBITION WE INSTALL A WALL IN
FRONT OF IT IN THE GALLERY AND
KEEP IT IN THE DARK FOR THE
MAJORITY OF THE YEAR.
WHEN YOU COME AND VISIT THE
MUSEUM YOU WOULD NOT KNOW IT'S
HIDING BEHIND THE WALL.
>> BY THE WAY, THE WORD CRECHE
COMES FROM THE FRENCH FOR CRIB.
THE ART INSTITUTE'S CRECHE IS ON