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The Adoration of the Shepherds

ca. 1605–10
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.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Adoration of the Shepherds
  • Artist: El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) (Greek, Iráklion (Candia) 1541–1614 Toledo)
  • Date: ca. 1605–10
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 56 7/8 x 39 7/8 in. (144.5 x 101.3 cm); with added strips 64 1/2 x 42 in. (163.8 x 106.7 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1905
  • Object Number: 05.42
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Christ Carrying the Cross, El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) Greek, Oil on canvas
Christ Carrying the Cross
El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos)
ca. 1577–87
Saint Jerome as Scholar, El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) Greek, Oil on canvas
Saint Jerome as Scholar
El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos)
ca. 1610
Portrait of an Old Man, El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) Greek, Oil on canvas
Portrait of an Old Man
El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos)
ca. 1595–1600
Saint Andrew, El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) Greek, Oil on canvas
Saint Andrew
El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos)
ca. 1610
Christ Healing the Blind, El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) Greek, Oil on canvas
Christ Healing the Blind
El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos)
ca. 1570

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