ticketsMember | Make a donation

The Adoration of the Shepherds

ca. 1612–14
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 619
This is a smaller version of an altarpiece El Greco painted for the chapel in Toledo where he would be buried (that work is now in the Museo del Prado, Madrid). He repeated the subject frequently, and this example was made in collaboration with workshop assistants who were familiar with his idiosyncrasies of palette and form. In comparison with another version hanging nearby, the figures here are more tightly cropped, resulting in a greater sense of immediacy. The lower halves of the two foreground figures in particular have been greatly elongated, not extending into space but trailing along the picture plane.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Adoration of the Shepherds
  • Artist: El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) and Workshop (Greek, Iráklion (Candia) 1541–1614 Toledo)
  • Date: ca. 1612–14
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 43 1/2 x 25 5/8 in. (110.5 x 65.1 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Bequest of George Blumenthal, 1941
  • Object Number: 41.190.17
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
The Adoration of the Shepherds, El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) Greek, Oil on canvas
The Adoration of the Shepherds
El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos)
ca. 1605–10
The Vision of Saint John, El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) Greek, Oil on canvas
The Vision of Saint John
El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos)
ca. 1608–14
The Capture of Carthage, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo Italian, Oil on canvas
The Capture of Carthage
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
1725–29
Merry Company on a Terrace, Jan Steen Dutch, Oil on canvas
Merry Company on a Terrace
Jan Steen
ca. 1670
Piazza San Marco, Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal) Italian, Oil on canvas
Piazza San Marco
Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal)
late 1720s

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.