Italian school of the second half of the 17th century. "Adoration of the Shepherds, ca. 1680. Oil on canvas. The work has been re-coloured and restored in some places in order to maintain its conservation. The work will be available approximately 15 days after payment has been made. Measurements: 85 x 66 cm. Scene in which the Adoration of the Shepherds is shown, an iconographic theme in which the birth of Jesus Christ is narrated. This cycle begins biblically with the Annunciation and ends with the Adoration of the Magi. The present theme is part of the Christmas cycle, which narrates the events during the gestation and birth of the Christ Child. In the image, a group of figures are sheltered in a stable during the night. Among them, the Virgin, Saint Joseph and the newborn Child require the main attention. The particularity of the painting is that it is a nocturnal scene in which the light comes directly from the child Jesus, who radiates light on all the figures in the composition. A crowd of shepherds who, according to Luke s writings, were spending the night in the fields, taking turns tending their flocks, were surprised by an angel announcing the birth of the Saviour. After going to the place of the birth, the shepherds, surprised by what had happened, show fervent devotion to the newborn child. The group is also accompanied by some shepherdesses, whose representation began to appear in the 17th century. Throughout history, the artistic image of The Adoration of the Shepherds was overshadowed by the Adoration of the Magi due to the concealment of this section of St. Luke s Gospel by the Church and some medieval theologians. However, after its recovery by some lay monks opposed to the opulence that surrounded the clergy, the representation of this passage increased notably in Italy.