Photography by Anita Sanseverino
Presepio on loan from Federazione delle Associazione della Campania USA
Photo exhibit by Anita Sanseverino, dedicated to the Presepio Napoletano (Neapolitan Style Nativity Scene) presented in conjunction with the annual 1700 style Neapolitan Presepio, on loan from the Federazione delle Associazione della Campania USA. The photographs and Presepio are on display at the Italian American Museum through January 15, 2015.
Anita Sanseverino loves her Italian Heritage. As a photographer she has documented the beauty of Italy and in recent years, has expanded her art form to include delving into the history of the traditions that make Italian culture so fascinating. Every celebration has a story, and that includes one of the grandest traditions that continues to this day; that of the Presepio Napoletano. People may be familiar with the “Nativity Scenes” used in their own homes, or have seen the “Angel Tree” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Anita’s photographs document the process by which these figures for the Nativity Scene are made, and how they evolved over the centuries, including what makes them uniquely Neapolitan.
From views of the religious scenes of the Nativity, to the secular aspects of this tradition, you will see how the Neapolitans shaped the story of the birth of Christ to include their own city.
Italian American Museum
155 Mulberry Street
(Corners of Mulberry & Grand Streets)
New York, NY 10013
For more information please call (212) 965-9000
or fax (347) 810-1028
or email [email protected]
Museum Hours of Operation:
Saturday, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Sunday, 12 NOON to 6:00 PM
Anita tells the complete story of the history and the traditions of the Presepio, including the symbolic meanings behind many of the figures and structures. It is a fascinating study of a tradition from the past that still continues to this day and is also a tribute to the city of Naples which elevated the Presepio to the highest art form.
