Adoration of the Shepherds – Savoldo

This artwork by Savoldo shows shepherds gathered around the Virgin Mary and her newborn Son on the night of Christ's nativity. Light radiating from the Holy Infant illuminates the faces of the three men and the Virgin Mary. In the background of the painting, a small, yellow-orange circle of light with the tiny figure of an angel in it, cuts through the black darkness of the night. The figure of a shepherd on a hill, looking up at the angel, is barely visible.