Baby Jesus: The Most Famous Depictions Worldwide

The figure of Baby Jesus transcends the nativity scene and our childhood imagination. As a symbol of salvation and hope, it has been central to art and devotion for centuries.

On a cold winter’s night in 1 BC, a Child was born in a stable where His parents sought refuge, as no inn could offer them shelter. To warm the mother during childbirth and the Child in His first hours of life, there were only an ox and a donkey with their warm breath. Outside the grotto, under a vast and mysterious night sky, a star began its journey across the heavens to herald the greatest story ever told. We all know this story; it is repeated every Christmas as far back as we can remember. It is not just told but represented everywhere, including in our homes with figurines, moss, and a paper star. Yet, each time, we cannot help but be moved. The birth of Baby Jesus truly is the greatest story of all.

As is fitting for such a tale, in addition to the nativity scenes we create each year, it has been told for centuries by countless artists—some immortalized by their talent, others forgotten though their works endure. These artists, renowned or less known, have each interpreted the birth of the Christ Child of Bethlehem, establishing specific iconographies to depict Him. In reality, there are multiple iconographies because, as with every aspect of Christianity and its figures, art has conveyed diverse messages and symbols in various ways.

Buy Now:

Nativity scenes

Nativity scenes in wood, resin, stone, terracotta and other materials.

Among the many recurring representations of Baby Jesus, the most common is undoubtedly that of the swaddled child laid in a manger, as portrayed in the first nativity scene by St. Francis of Assisi. The symbolism is clear and profound: God not only becomes man but becomes a helpless, vulnerable child amidst a cold winter. Other depictions include the Eucharistic Baby Jesus, blessing the chalice of wine or administering the consecrated host; the Blessing Baby Jesus, raising His tiny hand in blessing with the innocent smile only a child can offer; Baby Jesus as King; and the Resurrected Baby Jesus. Some artists have chosen to depict Baby Jesus as the sacrificial Lamb, foreshadowing the Passion He would one day endure. This dramatic vision of the Passion Child Jesus is sometimes made even more poignant by the innocence of the little Jesus playing with a wooden cross or resting unknowingly beside symbols of His future condemnation. In other portrayals, Baby Jesus seems aware, pausing as children often do to ponder something indescribable, as if contemplating the Cross, scourging, and crown of thorns.

Let us explore some of the most famous depictions of Baby Jesus through the ages.

Baby Jesus figurine in resin measuring 21cm. This nativity scene figurine is made of hand painted resin. Buy on Holyart

Baby Jesus statue 39,5 cm in resin. Buy on Holyart

Baby Jesus wooden figurine with opened arms and golden drape Buy on Holyart

Baby Jesus with rays in wood paste, 14 inches elegant finish.Buy on Holyart

Baby Jesus statue, in plaster with lamb 15 cm.Buy on Holyart

The Infant Jesus of Prague

The Infant Jesus of Prague exemplifies a hybrid depiction of Baby Jesus, combining the iconographies of the Blessing Baby Jesus and the Royal Baby Jesus.

The small wooden statue covered in wax, housed today in the Church of Our Lady Victorious in Prague, depicts Baby Jesus dressed in regal attire. His right hand is raised in a gesture of blessing, while His left holds the globe. Sculpted in Spain during the 16th century, when devotion to the kingship of Baby Jesus was widespread—especially through St. Teresa of Ávila—the statue was brought to Prague by the Counts of Treviño and Dukes of Nájera, Spanish ambassadors to the city. It was later donated to the Discalced Carmelites. Inspired by the statue, Pope Leo XIII founded the Congregation of the Infant Jesus of Prague in 1896, and subsequent popes established confraternities and celebrations in its honour.

Buy Now:

Infant of Prague statue in Valgardena wood

The Infant Jesus of Prague statue is produced in Val Gardena, Italy.

The Holy Child of Atocha

Unique in its representation, the Holy Child of Atocha, or Santo Niño de Atocha, is a popular depiction of Jesus in Mexico. The image portrays a seated child dressed as a traveller or pilgrim, with a cloak, a wide-brimmed hat, and sandals. He carries a shell, symbolizing pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago, a staff with a water container and ears of wheat in His left hand and a basket of bread in His right.

Initially part of a medieval statue of Our Lady of Atocha in Spain, the Child was removable and often taken to women in labour. When the Moors seized Atocha in the 13th century, their caliph decreed that only children under 12 could bring food to imprisoned Christians. However, a mysterious child dressed as a pilgrim began appearing at night, feeding the prisoners. The people of Atocha realized it was Jesus helping them. This devotion spread to the New World with Spanish settlers.

The Niño de Atocha is particularly venerated in Mexico, with two shrines dedicated to Him. The original Mexican Niño was placed in the Church of St. Augustine in 1554, alongside the Silver Christ.

Buy Now:

Holy Child Atocha statue 15 cm colored resin

The statue of the Santo Nino de Atocha depicts the Holy Child with his symbols: the stick and the basket.

The Santo Niño de Cebu

The Santo Niño de Cebu resembles the Infant Jesus of Prague. Kept in the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño in Cebu, Philippines, it is a 16th-century statue gifted by explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 to the Queen of Cebu upon her conversion to Catholicism and baptism, along with the King and over 800 subjects. This icon remains deeply venerated by locals, especially during the third Sunday of January, when it is carried in a solemn procession.