The Adoration of the Shepherds

Mary's beatifically idealized face reflects the heavenly light emanating from the glowing baby Jesus. Attractive young women coo over the infant, an old man whispers to a bare-chested shepherd cradling a sheep at the far left, and two birds rest contentedly at the foot of the rustic manger. Though on the earthly plane, a young boy holding a dove and shading his eyes in the foreground seems more like a sibling to the heavenly putti holding a scroll and a censer over the newborn Christ.

The young Sebastiano Conca successfully blended this Baroque wealth of activity with a symmetrical, classicizing composition centered on the manger. Despite the painting's expansive scale, his brilliant handling lends a cool sweetness that points toward the Rococo style.

Conca painted this picture for Rome's most adventurous patron, Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni. He may also have used this painting as a model for an altar frontal, a pillow-like plaque decoration.