Author
Matteo Bonechi - workshop
Biography
(Firenze 1669 - 1756)
Date
18th century
Technique
Oil on canvas
Size
110 x 80 cm
Description:
Matteo Bonechi distinguished himself in his artistic parable as a great draughtsman, a characteristic we recognize in this small canvas - probably commissioned privately for a picture gallery - by the way he treats figures and light with great stylistic and formal elegance.
The artist faithfully depicts the sacred narrative as told in Luke's gospel (2:8-20) at the moment when the shepherds, following the angel's instruction, come to pay homage to the Savior.
The night scene is enlivened by luministic hints that foreshadow the coming of the dawn. Bonechi creates an extremely refined image inspired by Correggio's 16th-century Adoration of the Shepherds.