Spanish school, XVII century.

Spanish school, XVII century.
"Adoration of the shepherds".
Oil on copper.
In good state of preservation. Needs cleaning.
Measurements: 51 x 42 cm; 85 x 76,50 cm (frame).

In this canvas, of composition animated by numerous characters, a classic theme in the History of Art is represented, that of the shepherds adoring the newborn Baby Jesus in the portal of Bethlehem. It is a scene that lends itself to be interpreted as a large composition with numerous characters, worked in a costumbrista key, so it was very much to the taste of Baroque painters, who sought above all a natural and close art, which would move the mood of the faithful and make them feel close to what was represented on the canvas, to the sacred story. However, in this case the divine elements are maintained, in the form of a Gloria break in the upper part, with three cherubs among golden clouds.

The Spanish school of the 16th century is characterized by the penetration of the Italian Renaissance, which arrives first in its primitive form, with the works of the Quattrocento, and soon gives way to the contemporary Mannerist influences. This century saw the transition between the language of Flemish influence that had been dominant in Spain until then and the new Italianate style, which left behind the rich and detailed sense of the Hispano-Flemish language. However, this arrival of new styles will not be uniform throughout Spain; on the Mediterranean coast these influences will arrive earlier thanks to the link between the crown of Aragon and Italy. On the other hand, in Castile and the interior of the Peninsula, the Flemish and late Gothic influences survived, largely driven by the Catholic Monarchs and by a clientele still attached to the old forms. Thus, while in Valencia we have figures such as Fernando Yánez de la Almedina (act. 1505-1537), a possible collaborator in Italy of Leonardo da Vinci and a follower of his style with a very high quality, in Castile Juan de Borgoña (act. 1494-1536) timidly began to introduce some elements, such as classical architecture, in decidedly Flemish works, and in Andalusia Alejo Fernández (ca. 1475-1545) followed a Flemish language. 1475-1545) follows a similar language, which will coexist in his later years with the mannerism of Pedro de Machuca (ca. 1490-1550) and Pedro de Campaña (1503 - ca. 1580), the latter introducing the rafaelesque mannerism, already from the second third of the 16th century. In this second third Valencia will stand out for the advanced language, especially thanks to the presence there of works by the Italian Sebastiano del Piombo (1485-1547). Although in the middle of the century we find Flemish reminiscences combined with Mannerism in authors such as Luis de Morales (1512-1586), in the last third of the century there was an important leap in quality around the construction of El Escorial and the court of Philip II. In this context we will find figures such as Juan Fernández de Navarrete, with a clear Venetian influence, or Alonso Sánchez Coello (ca. 1531-1588).