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St. John Baptist
Judith and Holofernes
Madonna with child
San Sebastiano cured by the angels
Madonna of the straw
Salome with the head of the Baptist
The elegant snack
Corsini throne
Venus reaches dying Adonis
Dispute of Jesus among the doctors
The torture of Prometheus
Denial of Peter
Madonna of the milk
Triptych with Ascension, Last Judgment, Pentecost
Allegory of the four elements - Air, Water, Earth, Fire
The hare
Polyptych with Madonna and Child with Saints
The tribute of the currency
Adoration of the shepherds
St. John Baptist
Judith and Holofernes
Madonna with child
San Sebastiano cured by the angels
Madonna of the straw
Salome with the head of the Baptist
The elegant snack
Corsini throne
Venus reaches dying Adonis
Dispute of Jesus among the doctors
The torture of Prometheus
Denial of Peter
Madonna of the milk
Triptych with Ascension, Last Judgment, Pentecost
Allegory of the four elements - Air, Water, Earth, Fire
The hare
Polyptych with Madonna and Child with Saints
The tribute of the currency
Adoration of the shepherds

Adoration of the shepherds

Jacopo Bassano

Displayed in:

Corsini Gallery

Corsini Gallery

Via della Lungara, 10 , Rome

Closed today: open tomorrow at 10:00

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The episode of the adoration of the shepherds, which came to Bethlehem after the announcement of the angels, is narrated in the Gospel of Luke. Bassano tackles the issue on the one hand by respecting tradition, on the other by introducing innovations. They form the backdrop for the archaeological ruins, a frequent element in the Italian iconography of the Nativity. Here we see a row of broken columns on a high pedestal, modeled on the Greek temples, against which a hut is leaning. The unusual architectural structure symbolizes the overcoming of paganism and the construction of the Christian church, of which the birth of Jesus is the first act of foundation. The canvas dates back to the sixties of the sixteenth century, a period in which Bassano began to darken the colors. The robes of the Madonna, Joseph and the shepherds have enameled shades, but the landscape has a nocturnal atmosphere. What is most striking is the almost disrespectful humility of the pastors, in line, moreover, with the spirit of the Gospel story, which wants the last in the social hierarchy as the first worshipers of the Messiah. The shepherds occupy the center of the scene, and if there were no left side of the picture, it might seem like a rural genre scene. The shepherd from behind is kneeling, showing his bare feet, as a reminder of his extreme humility, and holding a lamb, a sacrificial animal par excellence, a reference to the future Passion of Christ. On the far right, a curious insert: a crouched boy blowing on a burning ember, in the useless effort to revive a flame, now weak in the face of the powerful light of divine revelation. The figure will later have a wide diffusion as an autonomous genre scene.
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Title: Adoration of the shepherds

Author: Jacopo Bassano

Date: 1562

Technique: Oil painting on canvas

Displayed in: Corsini Gallery

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