The Adoration of the Shepherds
Medium
Etching and aquatint, printed in brown ink; only state
Dimensions
image: 10 15/16 x 16 5/16 in. (27.8 x 41.4 cm) 12 1/8 x 17 5/8 in. (30.8 x 44.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917
Accession Number
17.3.887-42
Tags
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 ...
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...