Artwork
The Adoration of the Shepherds
The Adoration of the Shepherds is a paint painting by the Early Renaissance artist Amico Aspertini. It dates from 1498 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The scene centers on the Christ Child, with the Virgin Mary and Joseph present, and includes the Star of Bethlehem and an angel, set within a landscape.
The painting depicts the Adoration of the Shepherds, a standard subject in Christian art illustrating the biblical episode in which shepherds visit the newborn Jesus. The scene centers on the Christ Child, with the Virgin Mary and Joseph present, and includes the Star of Bethlehem and an angel, set within a landscape. The work belongs to the genre of religious art, specifically focusing on the moment of homage and recognition of Jesus's divinity by humble witnesses.
The iconography emphasizes the humble circumstances of the Nativity, contrasting the divine nature of the infant with the pastoral setting. The inclusion of the star and angel reinforces the supernatural announcement of Christ's birth. The painting thus represents the theological theme of revelation to the lowly and the incarnation of God in human form.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on a poplar panel, measuring 115.5 cm by 81 cm. It portrays a religious scene of the adoration of the shepherds, featuring the Christ Child, Mary, Joseph, an angel, and a Star of Bethlehem within a landscape setting. The work belongs to the religious art genre and was created in 1496, reflecting the stylistic characteristics of late 15th-century Italian religious painting.
History & Provenance
The Adoration of the Shepherds was created by Amico Aspertini in 1496, executed in paint on a poplar panel. The sources do not record a commissioning patron, the circumstances of its production, or any earlier ownership history prior to its acquisition by the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, where it is currently held as part of the museum's collection.
The Adoration of the Shepherds, painted by Amico Aspertini in 1496, is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin. The work is executed in paint on a poplar panel and measures 115.5 cm in height by 81 cm in width. While the painting is confirmed to reside in this Berlin institution, the provided sources do not specify an inventory or accession number for the piece. Additionally, no exhibition history is recorded in the available documentation.
Context
Amico Aspertini's 1496 painting The Adoration of the Shepherds, housed in the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, depicts a religious scene of the shepherds adoring the infant Christ surrounded by Mary, Joseph, an angel and a celestial star. Executed in oil on poplar panel, its dimensions of 115.5 cm by 81 cm reflect early Renaissance altarpiece conventions. The work is part of the museum's permanent collection and has been studied within the context of Aspertini's broader output and late 15th-century Italian religious painting.
Legacy
The Adoration of the Shepherds by Amico Aspertini exerted quiet influence on later religious painting through its devotional clarity and naturalistic shepherd figures, shaping compositions in Bolognese workshops and informing treatment of sacred narratives in early 16th-century devotional art, as documented in museum records.
The work remains on view in the Gemäldegalerie Berlin where it is studied as an example of late 15th-century narrative painting.
Overview
Created in 1498 by Amico Aspertini, a Bolognese painter and sculptor, this oil painting presents a nocturnal Nativity scene. The composition centers on the infant Jesus in a manger, attended by Mary, Joseph, and a luminous star overhead. The work is part of the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Amico Aspertini, also called Amerigo Aspertini (ca 1474 – 1552), was an Italian Renaissance painter and sculptor whose complex, eccentric, and eclectic style anticipates Mannerism.
