Adoration of the Shepherds

The cycle of the nativity of Jesus has special importance within the iconography of Christian art. The scenes related to this theme became popular from the 14th century; with those scenes it was sought to emphasize the relationship between the Virgin Mary and her son.  

To compose these images, painters reviewed both apocryphal and canonical narratives. In the case of this scene, known as the adoration of the shepherds, the reference is found in the Gospel of Luke. The guidelines for its representation were established in Western art since the 15^th century.

The evangelist narrates that a choir of angels, visible in the upper right corner of the painting, appeared to a group of shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus. Angelic beings hold a phylactery in which it is read Gloria in excelsis Deo, a Latin phrase that translates “Glory to God in Heaven”.

At their arrival to the manger, the shepherds met Saint Joseph and the Virgin, who gently lifts the sheet that covers the Child to show him to the visitors. It is outstanding that a light emanates from the little one’s body that, according to authors such as Saint Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373), illuminated the faces of his parents.

The group of shepherds offers the newborn Child various gifts. As can be seen in the image, a shepherdess kneels in front of Jesus and hands him an egg. Next to her there is a jug. This shepherdess and her attributes are common in several paintings by Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640).   

These details refer to a hidden theme within the scenes of Christ’s childhood in which his Passion and death are foretold. In this case, the egg offered by the woman would allude to the resurrection on the third day after the crucifixion.

The donkey and the ox are recurring figures in the nativity cycle. According to the symbolism that anticipates the death of Christ in the images of his birth, the ox is read as a symbol of sacrifice and the donkey, as a representation of the Jewish people who denied the messianic nature of Jesus.   

Although the presence of these animals is not recorded in any biblical text, their representations are found in pieces as old as a 4th century sarcophagus. This fact, which may have been taken from texts such as the apocryphal gospel of Pseudo Matthew, was accepted by numerous theologians and by popular culture. However, in 2012 Pope Benedict XVI claimed that this is a fallacy.