Adoration of the Shepherds 1613

Juan Bautista Maíno painted 'Adoration of the Shepherds' in oil on canvas, a composition dominated by warm tones and a distinct vertical orientation. The scene is illuminated from above, creating a dramatic contrast between light and shadow that guides the viewer's eye through the divine event. The formal structure of the artwork presents a layered construction: celestial beings and heavenly light form a divine stratum at the top, while the human figures and earthly setting fill the lower portion. This division highlights a hierarchy between the sacred and the mundane. Note how the artist uses colour to reinforce this distinction, with brighter hues for the angelic realm and more subdued tones for the shepherds and stable. The overall composition invites a semiotic reading, where elements such as light and shadow function as signs signifying divine presence and human humility. By carefully arranging these formal elements, Maíno engages with theological concepts. Through the use of light, colour, and spatial arrangement, the painting becomes a site where the divine and human intersect.