Adoration of the Shepherds

This remarkable canvas, which for the time being remains anonymous, is an Andalusian work (most probably from Seville or Córdoba) painted in about 1640 by some artist practised in the ways of Zurbarán and most likely trained in his studio. The treatment of light, reminiscent of Tenebrism, the manner of interpreting paintings as large planes of notable sculptural strength and the interest in the details of still life, which are seen in the basket of eggs and the straw of the manger in which the new-born baby is laid, are obvious evidence of the influence of Zurbarán. But the arrangement of the figures, including the humans, is directly derived from a composition by Rubens, which was very well known through a small engraved reproduction by Lucas Vosterman who disseminated it widely. In this case, the anonymous master has suppressed some components of the Rubensian composition and has focused on the main group. The Virgin, the Child, the old shepherdess and St. Joseph, as well as the architectural structure, the manger and the accessories literally copy the engraved model, although naturally giving it the personal Zurbaranesque tone to which we have referred. The two shepherds who approach behind the kneeling old woman have been more thoroughly changed, with a completely different physiognomy and the fact that they are standing in order to fit in better to the vertical format of the new composition.