Spanish or Flemish school of the 17th century

Spanish or Flemish school of the XVIIth century
Following models of PETER PAUL RUBENS (Siegen, Germany, 1577 - Antwerp, Belgium, 1640).
"The Adoration of the Shepherds".
Oil on canvas.
Relined.
It presents restorations.
Measurements: 120 x 163 x 3 cm.

The painting of baroque period that we show takes as a model the oil painting that Rubens painted for the predella of an altarpiece of the church of San Juan de Malinas around 1617 (at the moment it is conserved in the Museum of Longchamps in Marseilles). It is a quality copy, faithful to the original, except for having reversed the order of the characters and slightly varying the colors of the costumes. Stylistically, the author emulates the freshness of the flesh tones and the genuinely Rubensian expressiveness.

The scene shows the stable where the shepherds have gone to adore the Child Jesus. Gestures, glances and gestures revolve around the Child, lying in the manger on luminous white cloths and surrounded by the arms of his Mother. It is on the child and the Virgin that the light in the composition is especially intense. Saint Joseph figures to the left of Mary, on whose hair he places one of his hands in a tender gesture, while he lets the other one fall on the cloths with which the Virgin wraps her Son. A soft golden glow surrounds the Virgin. At the foot of the manger there is an old woman kneeling, with her arms crossed over her chest in a prayerful attitude, looking at the Child. On the floor and in front of this figure, there is a basket and some hens. Behind her and above her head are the heads of other shepherds, also with expressive gestures. Finally, the two figures standing side by side do so in a marked diagonal rhythm towards the focus of attention. The figure of a young blonde woman, of considerable height, with a metal pot on her head, stands out. In the background on the left is a wooden architecture, a tree and in the upper corner, two little angel heads. In the foreground, to one side, some animals are represented seen against the light.