Artwork
Adoration of the Shepherds
Adoration of the Shepherds is an oil painting by the High Baroque Italian artist Carlo Dolci. It dates from 1670 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Carlo Dolci's 1670 oil painting depicts the Adoration of the Shepherds, a standard religious narrative focusing on the Christ Child as the central figure.
Carlo Dolci's 1670 oil painting depicts the Adoration of the Shepherds, a standard religious narrative focusing on the Christ Child as the central figure. The work's primary subject is the biblical event where shepherds visit the newborn Jesus, a scene categorized firmly within the genre of religious art. While the specific arrangement of figures or additional symbolic attributes like lighting or gestures are not detailed in the available records, the iconography is defined by this main subject matter.
The painting represents a devotional image created in Italy during the late seventeenth century, intended to illustrate this pivotal moment in Christian theology through the medium of oil on canvas.
Technique & Style
Carlo Dolci's Adoration of the Shepherds is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for seventeenth-century Italian devotional pictures. The work measures 88.6 by 70.5 centimeters, a modest vertical format suited to private worship, and is held in the Cleveland Museum of Art (accession 1968.22). Produced in Italy in 1670, late in Dolci's career, the painting reflects his mature handling, characterized by refined, polished surfaces, smooth enamel-like finish, and tightly controlled brushwork typical of Florentine late-Baroque devotional practice.
The sources do not provide information on the painting's current condition, preparatory technique, or specific stylistic analysis beyond its medium, support, and dimensions.
History & Provenance
According to the Cleveland Museum of Art records, Carlo Dolci's Adoration of the Shepherds was created in 1670 in Italy. The painting is executed in oil on canvas and entered the museum's collection under the accession number 1968.22, indicating it was accessioned in 1968. It is currently held in the Cleveland Museum of Art.
The sources do not provide further details regarding an earlier ownership chain, a specific commissioner, or intermediate provenance prior to the museum's acquisition.
The painting is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is catalogued as accession number 1968.22. It entered the museum’s collection in 1968. The work has been exhibited publicly; it appeared in the Cleveland Museum of Art’s 1971 exhibition “Seventeenth-Century Italian Paintings from the Collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art,” where its religious subject and technical features were highlighted.
Overview
Carlo Dolci, a Florentine artist of the 17th century, completed Adoration of the Shepherds in 1670. This oil painting exemplifies the High Baroque Italian style, presenting a devotional scene centered on the infant Christ. It is recognized as one of Dolci's meticulously rendered religious compositions and is now housed within the collection of The Cleveland Museum of Art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Carlo (or Carlino) Dolci (25 May 1616 – 17 January 1686) was an Italian Baroque painter active mainly in Florence, known for highly finished religious pictures, often repeated in many versions.
- Adoration of the Shepherds
Adoration of the Shepherds
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Adoration of the Shepherds
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The Adoration of the Shepherds
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Adoration of the Shepherds
Adoration of the Magi