Adoration Of The Shepherds, Follower Of Scipione Pulzone (1544 – 1598)

Follower of Scipione Pulzone (1544 – 1598) also known as Il Gaetano

Title: The Adoration of the Shepherds - A Nativity Scene

Medium: Oil on canvas

Provenance : A private London collection and Christie's old masters sale of 23rd October 1992 lot 183 where the painting was sold as above for £1,650

Overall size is 70cm x 53cm x 4cm and the painting measured at 56cm x 43cm

Description:

A beautifully balanced and well-composed 17th century Italian old master school oil-on-canvas painting by an early follower of Scipione Pulzone (1544 - 1598), also known as Il Gaetano.

This painting depicts a scene from the Nativity, commonly known as the Adoration of the Shepherds – a biblical event from the Gospel of Luke when a group of shepherds arrives to witness the newborn Christ Child.

Typical artistic interpretations of the scene often include the Holy Family with shepherds who have come to worship the Christ Child and within the artistic tradition of the depiction the scene is typically set in a humble stable, emphasising the humble beginnings of Jesus. The Italianate style is prevalent within the background and the painter has used Roman columns which signify the derivation of this beautifully balanced and well-composed old master.

The artist of the present work uses the technique of chiaroscuro (a technique using strong contrasts between light and dark) to create a dramatic and spiritual atmosphere. The contrast between the brightness and tonality of the palette used in the attire of the main characters and the darker background adds a sense of depth and contribute to the creation of an atmosphere that suits a moment of divine revelation.

At the time of this scene, shepherds were considered humble and lowly members of society, yet they were the first to hear about the birth of Jesus and amongst the first to witness the birth of Jesus. This particular scene embodies themes of humility, faith, and divine revelation. The core elements are typical of the Renaissance interpretation of the scene, however the architectural input and compositional variations are indicative of the Italian roots of this painting.

The character portrayal, and the inclusion of elements like angels or animals, as seen in different versions of the Adoration of the Shepherds, emphasises the connection between the spiritual and the earthly.

Born in Gaeta around 1550 and believed to have initially trained in the workshop of Jacopino del Conte, Scipione Pulzone was one of the most esteemed artists active in Rome in the second half of the 16th century. He was also one of the most important exponents of Counter-Reformation art of his generation, painting religious subjects in which late maniera artifice and complexity are eschewed in favour of narrative clarity, simplicity, and greater realism.

The painting offered displays some of the finer elements typical of Pulzone’s character portraits in terms of its simplicity and softness of palette, while also displaying the range of deeper tonality and light contrast often associated with the artist’s religious scenes.

Condition report: We think the painting may have been slightly extended in antiquity. The work has been cleaned and undergone restoration at some stage, most likely within the last 80 years or so. It retains a lovely tonality with good colours. The canvas has been lined. There is craquelure associated with its antiquity and some light small areas of abrasion, which does not in our opinion detract in any way from its beauty. The later frame has been beautifully hand finished with gilt highlighting appropriate to the period of the painting. The painting is ready to hang on the wall.

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