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If someone asked you to picture a Nativity scene, what image would come to mind?
You’d probably think of terracotta figures placed on moss, sawdust, or sand. A piece of cork simulates the cave of the Nativity, small dry branches serve as miniature trees, and a strip of aluminum foil reflects the light like a stream. This is the most widespread image of the Nativity scene, the one many families lovingly create each Christmas with care and tradition.
This kind of Nativity scene can be viewed from multiple angles, with no fixed viewpoint, making it a clear example of a multi-view Nativity scene.
Single-view framing: another way to represent the Nativity
There is another way to create a Nativity scene. Less familiar to the general public, but just as fascinating: the single-view Nativity scene.
In this case, the scene is not meant to be viewed from all sides, but is meticulously designed to be seen from a single, defined viewpoint, much like a theater stage, a painting, or a photograph. Everything —composition, lighting, volume— is arranged with precision to create a clear and intentional visual experience.
What about the classification of “open or panoramic” Nativity scenes?
You may have seen in sources like Wikipedia that Nativity scenes are sometimes classified as "open / panoramic" or "closed".
❝ Open or panoramic scenes, which are visible from at least three sides, placed lower than the viewer's eye level, with no overhead canopy, roof, or enclosing structure — at most, a plain backdrop. — Wikipedia, article “Nativity scene”
This classification is based on spatial criteria: how many sides are visible and at what height the display is placed relative to the viewer. However, this classification has several weaknesses:
Overly technical and restrictive → It focuses more on physical layout than on the viewer’s experience.
Ignores narrative richness → Nativity scenes are not just structures, but storytelling devices with multiple scenes and perspectives.
Ambiguous criteria → The phrase "below the viewer's eye level" is relative—it depends on who is observing (adults, children, or people seated in wheelchairs). In practice, some Nativity scenes are placed on raised platforms, while others rest directly on the ground in plazas or gardens. In the latter, life-size figures may be viewed at eye level or from various angles. Thus, defining a universal height standard can be problematic, as it depends on the context and intended audience.
Scenic backdrop limitation → It requires a "plain backdrop", whereas many so-called “panoramic” Nativity scenes include decorative skies or painted landscapes.
Single or multi-view framing: a scenographic decision
Puig i Roig (1933) already noted:
Puig i Roig, J. (1933). La construcció dels pessebres (p. 27). Barcelona, Editorial Balmes.❝We can see how, everywhere, people try to classify Nativity scenes into specific categories or groups based on different styles or construction methods. We understand that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to establish such classifications, since the construction of Nativity scenes does not follow fixed rules — each person follows their own approach and uses personal techniques, resulting in forms that are as varied as the number of Nativity scene artists who create them.❞
(Puig i Roig, 1933, p. 27, own translation).
That is why framing in Nativity scenes is not a rigid classification, but a scenographic criterion that defines the relationship between the scene and the viewer. It applies to both traditional Nativity scenes and digital or immersive representations.
Single or multi-view framing in the Nativity sceneis not a fixed category, but a scenographic approach that determines how the viewer engages with the scene. This criterion transcends materials, techniques, and formats. It is not a rule but a creative decision, without boxing Nativity scenes into closed categories. It applies to both traditional formats and new digital or immersive forms(I explain it here), which are becoming increasingly common. What matters is not how the Nativity is built, but how it was designed to be seen: whether from a single point of view —as in painting, cinema, or theater— in the form of a diorama or showcase, or from multiple angles that allow for three-dimensional exploration. This principle remains relevant throughout the evolution of Nativity art, from the earliest historical cribs to the interactive experiences of the future.
Comparison: Two Ways of Viewing a Nativity Scene
1. Multi-view Nativity Scenes
They can be viewed from several angles and are often interactive, with elements that can be moved or rearranged.
The multi-view Nativity scene is the most widespread format in homes and public spaces, both indoors and outdoors. Its layout allows the viewer to observe it from various angles, similar to a round sculpture that can be walked around freely.
This characteristic encourages the viewer to physically move around the scene, generating multiple visual experiences that enrich spatial perception from every new viewpoint. In essence, the viewer embarks on a visual journey, much like watching a documentary where the camera moves to reveal different angles of the same setting.
An interesting aspect of these Nativity scenes is that they usually depict multiple scenes simultaneously related to the birth of Jesus: the Nativity with the Adoration of the Shepherds, the Annunciation to the Shepherds, the journey of the Magi, or the palace of Herod. They also often include smaller side-scenes with secondary characters, such as a fisherman, a washerwoman, or a woodcutter, enriching the visual storytelling.
A skilled Nativity artist can subtly guide the viewer’s gaze, but the core of the multi-view Nativity lies in its visual freedom and interaction with the public.
Unlike multi-view cribs, single-view Nativity scenes are designed to be observed from just one point of view, as in a theater play, a painting, or a photograph. Each element is carefully arranged to guide the viewer’s gaze, using perspective and lighting intentionally—much like a cinematic frame. This approach allows control over visual depth and the play of light and shadow, resulting in a composition where every detail contributes to a clear visual experience. Like in painting, form and contrast highlight key elements, while theatrical staging and photographic language inspire a space built with strong narrative intent. Rather than a static image, this type of Nativity invites contemplation, encouraging the viewer to pause, explore its details, and interpret its meaning.
Does a single viewpoint limit perception?
Art has always been a dialogue between creator and viewer. A writer shapes a vision through words, a composer structures it in notes, and a filmmaker frames it with a lens. In all these cases, the viewer, reader, or listener is not a passive recipient, but an active participant interpreting the work through their own sensitivity.
Some may think that single-view cribs impose a fixed perspective, limiting the viewer’s freedom. That’s a misunderstanding. It’s not about restriction, but composition. Not about imposing, but guiding.
When we look at a painting, we understand it was created to be viewed frontally. That doesn’t cancel interpretation—on the contrary, it invites it. Likewise, a single-view Nativity scene doesn’t strip away admiration or emotion; it offers a scene designed to create visual and narrative impact.
Would we ask a painter to adapt the canvas to our liking? Or a film director to let us move the camera? The creator is not a puppet of the viewer, nor is the viewer a prisoner of the work. Both have a role: the former composes with intent, the latter interprets with freedom.
A single-view Nativity is not a cage, but an invitation. A skilled Nativity artist designs their scene with the same precision that a writer chooses words or a musician composes melodies. And just as with literature or music, the final interpretation lies in the hands of the beholder.
The work is there. How you experience it depends on you.
Cinema, photography, painting, and theater have long used this principle. Yet every viewer still interprets each image in their own way. A single-view Nativity does not suppress imagination—it offers a carefully crafted vision meant to move, narrate, and leave an impression.
A Nativity artist, like any artist, does not create to please the viewer, but to express their personal vision. The way they choose to represent a Nativity scene —whether with a single or multiple viewpoint— reflects a creative intent, a unique aesthetic and narrative pursuit.
What matters in any Nativity scene is not where it is viewed from, but how and why it was created. As in painting, film or music, the important thing is not the audience’s immediate response, but the truth and intention of the artist.
The creator is not a fulfiller of others’ wishes, nor should their work be tailored to the viewer’s taste. Van Gogh sold only one painting in his lifetime, to Anna Boch, a Belgian collector and painter, in 1890 for 400 francs, but that did not diminish the value of his art. Art does not seek approval, it seeks expression.
Whether it is a Nativity scene open and accessible from all sides, or a composition meticulously designed for a frontal view, what defines its value is not the type of framing, but the creativity, craftsmanship, and passion of the one who creates it.
Because in the end, a Nativity scene is not just a depiction of the Nativity, but a reflection of its creator’s vision.
I’ve shown you in both videos an extreme example, but easy to understand.
This is an extreme case, but the meaning in Nativity art is the same: the creator doesn’t work for immediate approval, but to express their vision and enjoy creating their Nativity scene.
A Nativity scene, whether with single or multiple framing, is not better or worse depending on how much the viewer likes it. What matters is the creativity and craftsmanship of the one who made it.
Art is born from the need to express, not from the need to please.
⚠ An unnecessary confusion
Before moving forward, it’s worth pausing to reflect on a fundamental point. What I’m about to explain only makes sense because there are still people who mistakenly believe that Nativity scene making is not an artistic expression, and that it can be divided into “artistic” and “folk” categories.
This idea exists only in Spain and comes from a misinterpretation of a 20th-century text. What was originally a description of how Nativity scenes were made at the time eventually became a supposed distinction between "art" and "tradition", as if “folk” could not be artistic simply because it wasn’t always made by fine arts professionals.
Moreover, the word “folk” adds even more confusion, as it can be interpreted in two ways:
As something made by people without experience.
As a representation of the life and environment of common people.
However, in countries like Italy, Germany, France, and throughout Latin America, Nativity scene making has always been recognized as a legitimate artistic expression, without the need for dividing labels.
If this confusion didn’t exist, there would be no need for any explanation. But its origin is a text taken out of context, repeated again and again until it seemed like unquestionable truth.
Single-view or multi-view Nativity scenes:
THE ART OF CREATING NATIVITY SCENES 
Nativity Scenography 
12/06/2025 
Overly technical and restrictive → It focuses more on physical layout than on the viewer’s experience.
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, which are becoming increasingly common. What matters is not how the Nativity is built, but how it was designed to be seen: whether from a single point of view —as in painting, cinema, or theater— in the form of a diorama or showcase, or from multiple angles that allow for three-dimensional exploration. This principle remains relevant throughout the evolution of Nativity art, from the earliest historical cribs to the interactive experiences of the future.
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Questions to keep thinking
