Andalusian school of the second half of the 17th century.
"The Adoration of the Shepherds".
Oil on canvas. Re-coloured.
It has repainting, restorations and leaps.
With 20th century frame.
Measurements: 169 x 126 cm; 193 x 151 cm (frame).
This canvas represents a classic theme in the History of Art, that of the shepherds adoring the newborn Baby Jesus in the Bethlehem's portal. It is a scene which, as in this case, lends itself to being interpreted as a large composition with numerous figures, worked in a costumbrista style, and was therefore very much to the taste of Baroque painters, who sought above all a natural and intimate art that would move the faithful and make them feel close to what was represented on the canvas, to the sacred story. Thus, the divine elements are reduced to a minimum, with only a Glory break in the upper part, with two child angels attending the event. As is typical of the early Baroque, this heavenly space is clearly differentiated from the earthly one, a clear separation which, however, would disappear in the second Baroque. As for the rest of the figures, all are arranged in the lower part of the composition and are notable for their gestural emphasis and individualised clothing. All of them are presented around the Christ Child, who is placed in the centre of the composition as the absolute protagonist, directly illuminated by a divine light. In short, we see in this canvas a theme that has been repeated many times throughout the history of art, and which experienced a notable boom during the Andalusian Baroque period. The humanity that pervades the scene made the faithful identify with it, an intention that would characterise Spanish religious art from the Counter-Reformation onwards.