1650
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Adoration of the Shepherds is a 1650 by Cornelis Bloemaert, depicting Nativity of Jesus, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This print shows a crowded scene with a baby in a manger surrounded by shepherds, angels, and animals. The shepherds kneel or stand awkwardly, some pointing or holding staffs, while angels float above with wings. A woman holds the baby, and an older man in the corner looks on. The background has a grand archway with a landscape beyond, and a few faces peek from windows. The title says this is the *Adoration of the Shepherds*, a story from the Bible about Jesus’ birth. The artist used shading to make the figures look three-dimensional, even though it’s a print. Look up chiaroscuro to see how artists use light and shadow to create depth.
Adoration of the Shepherds by Cornelis (II) Bloemaert is a print on paper derived from a composition previously attributed to Raphael and once part of the Mariette Collection. The work reproduces a painting whose original authorship was later corrected.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Cornelis Bloemaert II (1603 – 28 September 1692), was a Dutch painter and engraver, who after training in the Dutch Republic worked most of his career in Rome.
See the richer artist page
