Description
The painting "Adoration of the Shepherds" by the artist Philippe De Champaigne is a masterpiece of French Baroque art of the 17th century. This work represents the biblical scene of the adoration of the shepherds to the baby Jesus in the manger.
De Champaigne's artistic style is characterized by precision and attention to detail, which can be seen in this work. The composition of the painting is balanced and symmetrical, with the characters arranged in a semicircle around the baby Jesus. The coloring is sober and austere, in keeping with the French Baroque style.
The history of the painting is interesting, as it was commissioned by Queen Anne of Austria for the Carthusian church in Paris in 1646. The original painting was destroyed during the French Revolution, but De Champaigne painted a copy in 1663, which is the one that is currently kept in the Louvre Museum in Paris.
A little known aspect of this work is that De Champaigne included in the painting the figure of a musician angel playing a lute. This figure does not appear in the original biblical scene, but De Champaigne included it to give a touch of beauty and harmony to the composition.
In short, the painting "Adoration of the Shepherds" by Philippe De Champaigne is a masterpiece of French Baroque art, noted for its precise and detailed style, balanced composition, and sober colouring. The history of the painting and the detail of the musician angel are interesting aspects that add value to this work of art.