The Adoration Of The Shepherds. Workshop Of Maarten De Vos (1532–1603)

Late 16th century, Flanders, Antwerp

Oil on copper
Presented in a beautiful antique carved and gilded wooden frame with a foliage motif.
Overall dimensions: 52 x 45 cm. Copper panel alone: 40 x 32 cm

This Adoration of the Shepherds depicts the birth of Christ in a typically Mannerist composition: the figures are arranged in a masterful choreography around the Child, bathed in zenithal light. The Virgin, dressed in red and blue, leans gracefully toward the newborn, while Joseph, in an ochre and blue cloak, meditates in a contemplative pose. The shepherds, with their sweeping and expressive gestures, convey the people’s emotion in the face of the divine miracle. In the background, a bluish landscape stretches to the horizon, where the Annunciation to the shepherds can be seen beneath a sky streaked with golden rays. The stable, set amid ancient ruins, houses the donkey and the ox, symbols of the iconographic tradition. The vivid colors—bright reds, intense blues, turquoise greens—and the luminous contrasts accentuate the refinement of the late 16th-century Antwerp style.

The work belongs to Late Flemish Mannerism, characterized by:

· Slender, theatrical figures in studied poses.

· A vibrant, almost enamel-like palette, typical of the Antwerp school.

· Ruined architecture serving as a symbolic backdrop for the Redemption.

· Multiple narrative threads, blending the main scene with the secondary landscape.

This pictorial language, inherited from Frans Floris and the Bassanos, already foreshadows the transition to the Rubenesque Baroque.

Maarten de Vos (1532–1603)

A major painter of the Flemish Renaissance, Maarten de Vos was trained in Antwerp and influenced by his stay in Italy, where he absorbed the styles of Veronese and Tintoretto. Upon returning to his hometown, he became one of the most prolific artists of his time, creating extensive religious and mythological cycles. His studio trained a large number of painters who went on to become famous, including Simon de Vos, Frans Francken II, and Cornelis de Vos, who carried on his elegant and narrative style.

In very good condition. Sold with a certificate of authenticity