The Birth of the Virgin, 1916

Mary was the daughter of Anna and Joachim, a pious but childless couple whose wish to have children was answered by God. The story goes back to an apocryphal text from the second century, the so-called proto-gospel of James, and had a great influence on popular devotion. The birth of the Mother of God is celebrated on 8 September. Already before the First World War, Albert Servaes settled in Sint-Marten-Latem where he developed his own expressionistic form language long before Permeke, De Smet and Van den Berghe. His work was religiously inspired. One of his favourite themes was the Passion of Christ. A story of suffering that already begins with the birth of Mary. The natural light of late summer with its delicate hues contrasts sharply with the sombre attire of the women. The Birth of Mary is a work of popular devotion. The scene is set in a Flemish interior. Only the aureoles and the two angels in the background refer to the special character of this event. Both the grainy technique and the simple form language refer to the intimist work of Jakob Smits.