The Adoration of the Shepherds

El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) Greek

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 619

El Greco’s late work is characterized by a tendency toward abstraction and almost dancelike, restless movement that animates the painted surface while also serving his narrative. Here, the shepherds’ lively gestures indicate their excitement at Christ’s birth. The nocturnal setting heightens an otherworldly palette. El Greco often made replicas or variants of important compositions; much like Claude Monet or Paul Cézanne, the artist used repetition to work through a theme, belying the notion of a singular original. No fewer than eight versions of this subject were in his studio at his death. This work repeats features of another painting he made for Juan de Ribera, an influential figure in the Roman Catholic church in Spain.

The Adoration of the Shepherds, El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) (Greek, Iráklion (Candia) 1541–1614 Toledo), Oil on canvas

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.