The woman smiles tenderly at her toddler...

The woman smiles tenderly at her toddler son, who reaches to embrace her. Both are serene, which seems completely out of step with the season created because of their famous story.

But then, they are the subjects of a Madonna and Child painted long before the headline-making singer wore her underwear on the outside, or Christmas became so, well, commercially hectic.

The painting, by Botticelli, hangs in the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. It is part of a short, self-guided tour of Renaissance art relating to the first Christmas now on display.

“It’s just shedding new light on the current installation,” said museum curatorial assistant JoAnne Severns Northrup.

Northrup explained that she selected the featured paintings from permanent collections in two of the museum’s galleries and wrote the text for the tour, which runs through Jan. 3.

“In the two galleries, there are about 30 paintings and sculptures. I’ve chosen 10,” Northrup said. “I didn’t want to overdo it.”

The eight paintings and two sculptures show different parts of the Nativity, from Gabriel’s visit to Mary to the family’s escape from King Herod into Egypt. Other Madonna and Child works are included to highlight the various ways artists depicted the pair through the Renaissance.

Of course, the rest of the museum at 411 W. Colorado Blvd. is open too--with expanded holiday hours, daily from noon to 6 p.m. Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for students and senior citizens. Children under 12 are free with a paying adult.

The museum will be closed Christmas and New Year’s days. On Jan. 3, the museum goes back to normal operations, Thursday through Sunday.