The Adoration of the Shepherds

This artist, who earned his nickname from his father’s employment as a gardener, was most likely trained in Ferrara in the first decade of the sixteenth century. His compositions, often illuminated by oblique lighting effects, subtly meld the rich saturated colors associated with Venetian painting with a measured classicism. This contemplative composition focuses on the adoration, eliminating the Annunciation to the Shepherds that is often included in such scenes.