Artwork
The Adoration of the Shepherds
The Adoration of the Shepherds is an unspecified painting by the Rococo painting artist Jacob Andries Beschey. It dates from 1755 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
It is part of the collection at the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains on display.
The Adoration of the Shepherds depicts the biblical scene of shepherds paying homage to the newborn Christ Child, a common motif in Christian religious art symbolizing the recognition of the divine by the humble. The painting, created by Jacob Andries Beschey in 1755, shows the infant Jesus held by Mary, surrounded by attentive shepherds, emphasizing themes of devotion and the incarnation. It is part of the collection at the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains on display.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on canvas, measuring 385 cm in height by 539 cm in width. Jacob Andries Beschey employs chiaroscuro to model figures, with soft lighting emphasizing the intimate moment of shepherds presenting gifts to the infant Christ. The composition features a shallow spatial depth and a pyramidal arrangement of figures, drawing focus to the central exchange.
The canvas support shows fine brushwork in the drapery folds, while the handling preserves the delicate tonal transitions characteristic of 18th-century religious scenes.
History & Provenance
The Adoration of the Shepherds was created by Jacob Andries Beschey in 1755. The painting is classified as a religious work depicting the Christ Child as the focal point of the adoration of the shepherds.
The work is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains located. Its dimensions are recorded as 385.0 in height and 539.0 in width.
The available sources do not document the original commission, prior ownership, or any intermediate provenance prior to the painting's acquisition by the Statens Museum for Kunst.
The Adoration of the Shepherds, painted by Jacob Andries Beschey in 1755, is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. The work is located at the museum in Copenhagen. No specific inventory or accession number is provided in the available records, nor is there any documented exhibition history listed for this painting.
Overview
Created in 1755 by the Antwerp‑based artist Jacob Andries Beschey, The Adoration of the Shepherds presents a quiet nocturnal tableau of the Nativity. A woman cradles the infant Jesus on a modest bed while a small congregation of figures, some kneeling, others standing, gathers around her. A cow and a sheep complete the pastoral setting, lending the scene a serene, intimate atmosphere.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacob Andries Beschey (1710 in Antwerp – 1786 in Antwerp) was a Flemish painter and draughtsman who mainly painted religious paintings that were in the style of, or inspired by, Peter Paul Rubens.
- The Adoration of the Shepherds
Adoration of the Sheperds
The Nativity
The Adoration of the Shepherds
The Adoration of the Magi
Adoration of the Shepherds
Anbetung der Hirten (nach dem Stich von Lucas Vorstermans d. Ä.)
Anbetung der Hirten
The Holy Family with Saints
Death in exile
The Adoration of the Shepherds