1453_Adoration_of_the_Shepherds_Mantegna.txt

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Andrea Mantegna 1431 – 1506
Adoration of the Shepherds

tempera on canvas (40 × 56 cm) — c. 1451-53
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

This work is linked to Luke 2:16

In this early work by Mantegna his style is already clearly developed. Bright colors, precise drawing and much attention to detail.

The shepherds with their worn clothes and rustic faces seem inspired by Flemish art.

Andrea Mantegna biography

Andrea Mantegna

1431 - 1506

Italian painter and engraver, born in the vicinity of Padua. Brother-in-law of Giovanni Bellini.

Mantegna is influenced by Donatello's work from early on. Characteristic of Mantegna's work are the bright colors, the strong linear perspective and the sharp lines. The subject matter is mostly classical or religious.

The altarpiece for the San Zeno in Verona is one of his most famous works, just as the murals in the Camera degli Sposi (bride's room) in the Palazzo Ducale in Mantua (1468–1474). His work's composition and structure have inspired many artists.