Andalusian School; XVIII century.

Andalusian School; XVIII century.
"Adoration of the shepherds".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Presents faults and Repainting.
Measurements: 72 x 100 cm; 80 x 109 cm (frame).
This canvas represents a classic theme in the History of Art, that of the shepherds adoring the newborn baby Jesus in the portal of Bethlehem. It is a scene that lends itself to be interpreted as a large composition with numerous characters, worked in a costumbrista key, a feature that was very much to the taste of Baroque painters, who sought above all a natural and close art, which moved the mood of the faithful and made them feel close to what was represented on the canvas, to the sacred story. In this way, the divine elements are reduced to a minimum. In the center of the scene we see the Virgin kneeling before the Child awake in his cradle, lifting the veil that covers him so that the little shepherds can contemplate him, and adopting a completely everyday gesture that enhances the bond between mother and child. Next to them, located to the right, is the figure of Joseph, who looks at his son in awe. Both Mary and Joseph appear in profile, leaning towards the cradle, in a classical composition. The rest of the composition is completed with the presence of several shepherds, located in different depth planes, but emphasizing an open circular composition in the foreground, so that the author introduces the viewer into the composition itself.