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The Adoration of the Shepherds is a 1644 oil on canvas painting by Georges de La Tour, now in the Louvre Museum, in Paris. It was bought in 1926.[1][2]

The Adoration of the Shepherds
Artist	Georges de La Tour
Year	1644
Medium	oil on canvas
Dimensions	107 cm × 137 cm (42 in × 54 in)
Location	Louvre, Paris

History and description

The tradition of representing the theme of the adoration of the shepherds, taken from the Gospel of Luke, was very common in the 17th century painting, specially among the Caravaggesque painters, who transformed this episode into a nocturnal scene by candle light. La Tour, a painter strongly influenced by Caravaggio, departed from the traditional iconography of the birth of Christ in this painting. At first glance, the scene shows a group of five people sitting around a child in the light of a lit candle. It is the only source of light that falls on the faces of the gathered people, but thanks to the obscuring hand of an old man, that is Saint Joseph, the viewer has the impression that the glow radiates from the Child Jesus. Each person seems lost in their thoughts and their eyes appear directed towards Jesus. Among the gathered there is a second woman, a maid, holding a vessel of water. There is no donkey or ox among the animals, only a sheep that appears chewing the hay. The child is lying in a wicker basket and not in a manger, as the tradition says.

The shepherds are dressed in clothes contemporary of the painter. The Virgin is enhanced by her red robe, on the left, while Joseph carries the light, a traditional symbol of truth.[3]

Provenance

The painting was probably commissioned by the citizens of the city of Lunéville, in 1644, as a tribute to the new governor, Maruiq de la Fert. For many years it was forgotten, until it was rediscovered in Amsterdam. It was purchased by the Louvre in 1926.

References

На других языках

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- [en] The Adoration of the Shepherds (de la Tour)

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[es] La adoración de los pastores (La Tour)

La adoración de los pastores es un cuadro del pintor Georges de La Tour, realizado en 1644, que se encuentra en el Museo del Louvre. La Tour la realizó después de una posible visita a Holanda, donde adquirió influjos de pintores locales como Honthorst.[1]

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[fr] L'Adoration des bergers (Georges de La Tour)

L'Adoration des bergers est une peinture à l'huile sur toile du peintre français Georges de La Tour réalisée vers 1645 et conservée au musée du Louvre à Paris.

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[it] Adorazione dei pastori (Georges de La Tour)

L'Adorazione dei pastori è un dipinto del pittore francese Georges de La Tour realizzato nel 1644 e conservato al Museo del Louvre a Parigi in Francia.

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