Artwork
Adoration of the Shepherds
Adoration of the Shepherds is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Juan Bautista Maíno. It dates from 1611 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Central symbolism includes the presence of an egg, representing resurrection, and simple basketry that underscores the ordinary origins of the holy family.
The Adoration of the Shepherds portrays the biblical scene of shepherds paying homage to the infant Christ, emphasizing themes of humility and divine revelation. Central symbolism includes the presence of an egg, representing resurrection, and simple basketry that underscores the ordinary origins of the holy family. These elements reinforce the painting’s religious significance within the Catholic tradition of Counter‑Reformation Spain, highlighting both the sacred narrative and the earthly context of the worshippers.
Technique & Style
Juan Bautista Maíno executed the Adoration of the Shepherds in oil paint on canvas. The work is a large-scale religious composition, measuring 314.4 cm in height and 174.4 cm in width. Stylistically, the painting operates within the religious genre, depicting the Christ Child alongside the shepherds.
The composition incorporates specific still-life details, such as basketry and an egg as food, which anchor the sacred narrative in everyday material reality.
History & Provenance
Juan Bautista Maíno's Adoration of the Shepherds, completed in 1611, is currently held by the Museo del Prado in Madrid. The work originated from the Convento de San Pedro Mártir before entering the collection of the Museo de la Trinidad, which was later merged into the Prado's holdings. While the painting has a documented history of ownership transfer between these institutions, the provided sources do not list specific inventory or accession numbers for the piece. Additionally, the available records do not contain details regarding the artwork's exhibition history or specific display dates.
Context
The Adoration of the Shepherds, painted by Juan Bautista Maíno in 1611, exemplifies the devotional intensity characteristic of Counter-Reformation religious art. Its composition, emphasizing the intimate moment of shepherds presenting gifts to the infant Christ alongside symbolic elements like the egg and basketry, reflects both artistic innovation and theological nuance within early Baroque Spain. The work is housed in the Museo del Prado and the Museo de la Trinidad, institutions central to preserving Maíno's legacy and contextualizing his contributions to Spanish religious painting.
Overview
Juan Bautista Maíno’s 1611 oil on canvas, titled Adoration of the Shepherds, presents a nocturnal Nativity scene now displayed in Madrid’s Museo del Prado. The composition centers on a infant in a modest manger, attended by a group of shepherds, a woman in red and blue, and a man in green and yellow, while a donkey and a cow flank the holy child.
Artist & collection
