The Adoration of the Shepherds

This is The Adoration of the Shepherds as recounted in Luke 2: 6–17. The glowing Christ Child, wrapped in a white cloth, lies in a manger. The Virgin Mary kneels on the right beside Saint Joseph. Two angels hover in the darkness of the dilapidated stable. On the left three shepherds peer at the baby; the one in the foreground carries a lamb – his gift to the Child and a symbol of Christ’s future sacrifice. The donkey has thrust its head between Joseph and this foremost shepherd to gaze down at the child.The night sky above has opened to reveal a host of charming cherubs. Two perch on the edge of the stable roof; others recline on clouds. One holds a banner with the Latin words ‘GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO’ (‘Glory be to God in the highest’).This small cabinet painting was previously attributed to Ippolito Scarsella, called Scarsellino (about 1550–1620), an artist who worked in Ferrara, and was later thought to be North Italian. Recent cleaning has revealed the delicacy of the brushwork (especially evident in the starlit sky and the fur trim and pouch of the foremost shepherd), which is enhanced by the smooth copper on which this picture is painted. The bright colour range unveiled by the cleaning suggests it was painted in Florence at the beginning of the seventeenth century.