The Adoration of the Shepherds. Anton Raphael Mengs

This painting shows a group of shepherds worshipping Baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

This scene is from the Gospel.

The Gospel is a book in the Bible that describes the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

In the centre of the painting is Baby Jesus, held in the arms of the Virgin Mary.

On the right, a group of shepherds look at the baby with different expressions.

On the left, Saint Joseph sits and observes the shepherds.

The painter, Mengs, portrays himself behind Saint Joseph.

Above them, a group of angels fly over the adoration scene.

Mengs uses the glow of light emanating from Baby Jesus and the shadows he creates to highlight the shapes and volume of the other figures.

Mengs drew inspiration from “The Adoration of the Shepherds” by Correggio, to depict the scene with night time lighting.

Correggio, an Italian painter who lived 250 years before Mengs, had a significant influence on painters of the Mengs era.

With this painting, Mengs wanted to change the way artists of his era painted religious subjects.

He tried to imitate the style of painters from the Renaissance.

Correggio lived in the Renaissance period.

Mengs painted this artwork when he was in Rome.

In Rome, he studied the art of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome and he became familiar with the works of great Italian painters from the Renaissance.

The Renaissance was a cultural movement in which artists explored ancient Greek and Roman subjects.

The painters of the Renaissance lived 250 years before Mengs created this painting.

The painting was commissioned to decorate the Dressing Room of the Royal Palace of Madrid.

King Charles the Third used that room.