| The Adoration of the Shepherds | |
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| Artist | El Greco |
| Year | 1612–14 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Location | Museo del Prado, Madrid |
| Dimensions | 126 in × 71 in |
| 319 cm × 180 cm | |
| Famous Paintings by El Greco | |
| The Disrobing of Christ, 1577–1579 | |
| Opening of the Fifth Seal, 1608-1614 | |
| Dormition of the Virgin, 1565-1566 | |
| The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, 1586 | |
| View of Toledo, 1596-1600 | |
| The Adoration of the Shepherds, 1612–14 | |
| Christ Healing the Blind, c. 1570 | |
| The Entombment of Christ, c.1570 | |
| St. Martin and the Beggar, 1597-1599 | |
| Complete Works |
The Adoration of the Shepherds is a painting by the Spanish Renaissance artist, El Greco. He began to work on the painting in 1612, finishing it two years later, just before his death. The painting’s subject is taken from the story of the Nativity: it depicts the shepherds witnessing the miracle represented by the newborn Jesus Christ in the stable where he was born. It is now owned by Madrid’s Museo del Prado.
Artistic Features
As was usual with El Greco’s final works, the bodies of the shepherds are considerably distorted from their natural forms, contrasting with the more classical appearance of the angels who fly above the scene. This, combined with the unusual angles and poses of the characters, was intended to give an impression of ecstatic wonder. There is a great deal of contrast between light and shade in the work, with the combination of this and the picture’s brilliant colors intended to further heighten the sense that the onlooker is witness to a world-changing event.