Happy Festive Season listeners! We've just squeaked in a Christmas-themed episode for you to enjoy before the New Year. This time, we wanted answers to a question that has bothered the IIAT household for some time: what's the deal with Old Man Baby Jesus in early art?

We discover why people couldn't get enough of balding / jacked / eye bags / combover portrayals of the little baby Jesus, via Netflix Christmas specials, some Medieval alchemy, and some strange ideas about animals.

Artworks:

Jacopo Bellini - Madonna and Child with Angels (1440s) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jacopo_Bellini_-_The_Madonna_and_Child_with_angels,_6282010.jpg https://www.meisterdrucke.uk/fine-art-prints/Jacopo-Bellini/712673/Madonna-and-Child,-15th-century,-1926.html

Barnaba de Modena - Madonna Breastfeeding Child (active 1361-1383) https://www.agefotostock.com/age/en/details-photo/madonna-breastfeeding-child-by-barnaba-da-modena-active-1361-1383-pisa-museo-nazionale-di-san-matteo-art-museum/DAE-11175251

Unattributed - Madonna and Child, Madonna delle Vergini or Icon from Bitonto (1304) https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/italy-puglia-bari-pinacoteca-provinciale-corrado-giaquinto-news-photo/187388764

Nicola di Maestro Antonio - Mother and Child Enthroned (c 1490) https://collections.artsmia.org/art/2225/madonna-and-child-enthroned-nicola-di-maestro-antonio

Pacino di Bonaguida - Details from Tree of Life (1310) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pacino-di-bonaguida-florence-1310-1315.jpg Detail: https://www.akg-images.com/archive/The-tree-of-life-2UMEBMYDJL5QZ.html

Jean Mancel - Illustration from Vie de Nostre Seigneur Jésus Christ (15th C) https://www.pinterest.com/pin/525091637798032930/

Unattributed - The Annunciation, The Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine, Sinai, Egypt (Late 12th C) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icon_of_the_Annunciation,_St._Catherine%27s_Monastery Further reading:

https://thedecodinghistory.wordpress.com/2020/11/06/story-behind-why-babies-in-medieval-art-look-like-creepy-adults/

https://blog.artsper.com/en/a-closer-look/history-of-art-ugliest-paintings-of-jesus/

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/66691/why-do-babies-medieval-paintings-look-so-old-and-scary

https://www.thecollector.com/baby-jesus-in-medieval-religious-iconography/

https://wtfarthistory.com/post/7886097565/homunculus-n-a-little-human

https://artandtheology.org/tag/homunculus/