Seville school; End of the 17th century

Sevillian school; End of the 17th century.
"Adoration of the Shepherds".
Oil on canvas. Re-coloured.
It has repainting on the pictorial surface.
It conserves a 17th century frame.
Measurements: 62,5 x 85 cm; 70 x 91 cm (frame).
In this canvas from the late-baroque period, the painter is interested in approaching the theme of the adoration in a naturalistic way, emphasising the humble environment that welcomes the birth of the Child Jesus in its bosom. The shepherds, devoid of any eloquent or ornate gestures, kneel or bow silently around the child, whose small body rests on a white cloth. The Virgin gazes piously at the Child, while Saint Joseph stands beside her in the background as usual. Although Jesus does not occupy the centre of the composition, he is the main figure in the scene due to the contrasting lighting, which helps to arrange the figures and direct the viewer's gaze to every corner of the crib. In this canvas we see a theme that has been repeated many times throughout the history of art, and which experienced a notable boom during the Andalusian Baroque period. The humanity that pervades the scene made the faithful identify with it, an intention that would characterise Spanish religious art from the Counter-Reformation onwards.
Aesthetically the work is close to the painting of Francisco Antolínez, brother of the painter José Antolínez. Francisco was a lawyer by profession, although his curiosity led him to take an interest in a wide range of subjects. He thus became a painter, achieving success with small-format works generally featuring small figures against a background of landscape or architecture. Ceán Bermúdez stated that after studying law in Seville he learned painting at Murillo's school and attended the academy established in the Casa Lonja in the same city, where he is recorded as having attended in 1672. That same year he must have moved to Madrid to join José Antolínez, although it is likely that after Antolínez's death he returned to his native city for some time. He finally settled permanently in Madrid. Francisco Antolínez was able to make a living from painting, but in spite of this he did not sign his works, as he preferred to present himself as a lawyer. Antolínez was heir to the Flemish style of Ignacio de Iriarte in his landscapes, and to the architectural backgrounds of Matías de Torres. His figures have a clear Murilloesque character. Francisco Antolínez is currently represented in the Prado Museum, the Castrelos Museum in Vigo, the Provincial Museum in Ciudad Real, the Episcopal Palace in Huesca, the parish church of Santa Ana in Brea de Aragón, the church of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios in Zamora and other religious centres and public and private collections.