Italian school; 18th century.

Italian school; 18th century. "Adoration of the Shepherds". Oil on canvas. Relined. It presents faults and repainting. Measurements: 56 x 43 cm. This canvas represents a classic theme in the History of Art, that of the shepherds adoring the new-born Baby Jesus in the Bethlehem's portal. It is a scene that lends itself to being interpreted as a large composition with numerous characters, worked in a genre style, which is why it was very much to the taste of the painters, who sought above all a natural and close art, which would move the spirit of the faithful and make them feel close to what was represented on the canvas, to the sacred story. In this work the artist still maintains the triumphalist aesthetic of the Baroque, as the scene is highly theatrical and invites the faithful to participate in it. However, both the anatomical treatment of the figures and the palette used by the artist indicate that this is a work more advanced in time, which begins to drink from the neoclassical style. As for the composition, it is notable for its circular conception, with all the figures in the scene arranged in the form of a border. Inside are the main characters, the Virgin Mary and the Child. Both have softened forms, not only in relation to their anatomy, where the Child's body stands out, but also in their gestures. The two are the protagonists of this tender scene, where the Virgin, holding the blanket, raises it with the intention of showing her son to those present. Saint Joseph is located on the right of the composition, with his palm upwards, reinforcing the gesture of showing, or offering, the Virgin herself, and on the left a group of three shepherds, who stand out for their expressions and for the classical conception of their bodies and clothing. Finally, the scene is completed by a Glory-breaking, located in the upper area and featuring several little angels, of which the one in the centre stands out because it holds a band which, despite its illegibility, seems to show the good news of the birth of Jesus.