The Adoration of the Shepherds
c. 1680/1690
Medium
pen and brown ink with brown wash on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet: 31 × 21 cm (12 3/16 × 8 1/4 in.) mount: 33.7 × 23.4 cm (13 1/4 × 9 3/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Joseph F. McCrindle Endowment Fund
Accession Number
2021.17.2
Art Historical Context
Giovanni Battista Merano's *The Adoration of the Shepherds*, created around 1680–1690, captures a timeless biblical moment from the Nativity story: humble shepherds kneeling in awe before the infant Christ, Mary, and Joseph in a dimly lit stable. As a Genoese artist active in late 17th-century Italy, Merano embodied the dramatic flair of the Baroque era, drawing inspiration from masters like Rubens and Van Dyck. His works often pulsed with emotional intensity and dynamic compositions, reflecting the Catholic Church's push for vivid religious imagery during the Counter-Reformation. This delica...