The Adoration of the Shepherds
Philippe de Champaigne, The Adoration of the Shepherds, 1640, oil on canvas, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Edwin Binney, 3rd, public domain, 66.83
This work is not currently on view.
- Title
The Adoration of the Shepherds
- Artist
- Date
1640
- Medium
oil on canvas
- Dimensions (H x W x D)
42 1/2 in x 33 1/2 in
- Inscriptions & Markings
signature/maker's mark: No date, no signature
- Collection Area
European Art
- Category
Paintings
- Object Type
painting
- Culture
French
French
- Credit Line
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Edwin Binney, 3rd
- Accession Number
66.83
- Copyright
public domain
- Terms
Trained in his native Belgium, Champaigne became a French citizen but he retained his connections with Flanders. Though much sought after as a portrait artist in French court circles, his career as a religious painter was equally important. The sincere spirituality of his images had a universal appeal, and he worked for several different factions of the Catholic church during his lifetime.
The Adoration of the Shepherds demonstrates the intensity of his religious feelings. Light emanating from the infant Christ penetrates the surrounding darkness to illuminate the Virgin, Joseph, the shepherds, and even the airborne infant angels. A larger, earlier version of this composition is in the Wallace Collection, London.
