The Adoration of the Shepherds

This carved panel, originally part of a larger retablo (or altarpiece), depicts shepherds bowing down before the infant Jesus as related in the Christian gospels. Although the exact site of its origin is unknown, its intricate pattern work and ornate gilding provide insights into its place in history.The ornamental gilding on the surface shows the estofado technique practiced in Castile (north-central Spain). In this method, the artist selectively uncovers the gold leaf from beneath a thin layer of egg-tempera paint by controlled scratching. Note the difference from the style of molded, gilt gesso seen in the background of the retablo panel of Saint Ausias at left, popular in Aragon (northeastern Spain).The so-called arabesque scrollwork that accents the archway and the figures’ clothing reveals the cross-pollination of Christian and Islamic styles at this time when Iberian Muslim territories were being reconquered by Spain. It belongs to a decorative language—known as the Mudéjar—practiced by Muslim artisans who remained in these reclaimed Christian domains. The presence of “Islamic” ornament in a Christian devotional work demonstrates how assimilated this style had become during the sixteenth century.—Ashley Koca ’25