The Adoration of the Shepherds

Art Historical Context

This evocative print captures the tender biblical moment of the Adoration of the Shepherds, as humble visitors gather around the newborn Christ and the Virgin Mary. Created before 1764 through the combined efforts of Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, known as Il Grechetto, and Francesco Bartolozzi, the work reflects the lasting appeal of Baroque religious imagery in 18th-century Europe. Castiglione, a master of dramatic light and pastoral scenes, provided the original design, which Bartolozzi translated into print form with remarkable sensitivity. The of etching combined with aquatint, printed in warm brown ink, allows both precise line work and soft tonal effects that mimic the warmth of a drawing or wash. This technique was particularly suited to devotional subjects, lending an intimate, painterly quality to the composition. As the only known state of the print, it represents a rare, carefully preserved example of how reproductive prints helped disseminate important religious narratives to wider audiences. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, this work highlights the collaborative nature of printmaking during the period and the enduring cultural significance of the Nativity story in European art.

About the Artist

Francesco Bartolozzi|Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (Il Grechetto) · 1727–1815

Francesco Bartolozzi (1727–1815) was an Italian engraver whose most productive period was spent in London, where he became the leading exponent of stipple engraving and a founding member of the Royal Academy. Born in Florence and trained first as a painter before turning to engraving in Venice, he established his reputation in Rome before being recruited by the English Royal Librarian Richard Dalt...