The Adoration of the Shepherds with angels overhead 1525 - 1566

Curator: The work before us, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is an engraving titled "The Adoration of the Shepherds with angels overhead." It's attributed to Battista Franco and dates back to sometime between 1525 and 1566, during the Italian Renaissance. Editor: Wow, it feels like peering into a dream. So many figures packed into this space, all these lines creating a swirling effect that’s both beautiful and unsettling. Is that the glow of divinity or just clever shading? Curator: I think your feeling of unease is interesting because this piece exemplifies a Mannerist style of representing religious scenes. By that I mean a certain freedom in how biblical narratives were portrayed, moving away from strict realism towards more stylized and emotionally charged compositions. Franco uses dramatic lighting to highlight key figures like the Virgin Mary and infant Jesus while surrounding them with angels and shepherds rendered in incredibly active poses. Editor: The angels are such a trip! Some look genuinely joyful, others seem almost…bored? One looks like he's about to start a food fight with a cherub! It makes me wonder what Franco was thinking, including these mundane vibes in such a supposedly sacred scene. Curator: What seems mundane to us might, in its own time, have been interpreted differently. Consider that class dynamics could be on display: who’s permitted in these heavenly gatherings, who gets what role? Religious paintings weren’t merely about faith, they also communicated hierarchies, expectations and norms. We see a divine event mediated through a very specific socio-political lens. Editor: Absolutely! You see the structures of power; I see just plain, beautiful humanity, with all its chaos and imperfection shining through. Even divine grace feels, somehow, relatable here, approachable through the crowd of regular people included in this holy event. Curator: And I suppose that's the enduring power of art; how differently we engage with and interpret it even after centuries. This image resonates even now. Editor: Definitely, after taking a closer look, I am reminded that the divine happens among everyday folk in the mundane reality, rather than in a carefully ordered spiritual performance.