Adoration of the shepherds, attributed to Louis de Caullery (1580-1622)

Adoration of the Shepherds
Attributed to Louis de Caullery (1580-1622)
17th century Antwerp School, circa 1620
Oil on copper: h. 54 cm (21.26 in.), w. 72 cm (28.35 in)
A 17th century Louis XIV period giltwood frame carved with flowers, foliage and scrolls.
Framed: h. 69 cm (27.16 in), w. 87 cm (34.25 in.)

Illustrating an episode in the life of Christ, the adoration of the shepherds, our painting is part of a series of works associated with the birth of Jesus and is one of the few biblical subjects treated by the Antwerp painter, Louis de Caullery. Rather specialized in feasts and genre scenes, Louis de Caullery, following the example of his contemporaries, also devoted himself to sacred painting, favouring two opposing subjects in his body of work: the Nativity and the Crucifixion. Generally, he illustrates very few scenes from the Old Testament.
Our painting highlights the moment after Jesus' birth in the stable. The shepherds were the first to be informed of the event and arrived on the scene long before the Magi.
The painter places the Virgin Mary in the centre with a halo on her head, dressed in a blue cloak showing the improvised cradle of the baby Jesus, while an angel bows before him. The shepherds gather around the Virgin and Jesus, spread out on either side, some kneeling in veneration before Christ. The painter places Saint Joseph with the ox in the background among the spectators.
In heaven a whole assembly of cherubs sings a sacred concert proclaiming the birth of the Saviour. A celestial light pierces the darkened sky to illuminate the scene.
The harmony of the warm-toned colours is broken by the icy blue and green clothing of some figures, bringing contrasts to the composition.
The finesse of the brush in the rendering of the fabrics accentuates the folds of the wrinkled clothes and brings volume and depth. Admirably constructed, the composition is enriched by numerous figures on earth and in the heavens, by numerous superimposed planes.

Related works:
- Louis de Caullery's studio, Musée des Beaux Arts d'Orléans
- Louis de Caullery's studio, Musée Vivant Denon in Chalon-sur-Saône
- Louis de Caullery, signed and dated 1621, private collection, listed in the RKD database under the number 1001086704

Louis de Caullery (Caullery, c. 1580 - Antwerp, 1621/22)
This Flemish master is thought to have been born around 1580 in the region of Cambrai. From 1593/1594 he became a pupil of the Antwerp landscape painter Joos de Momper. A member of the Guild of Saint Luke from 1604, Louis de Caullery seems to have been active in Flanders throughout his life, although he had a great knowledge of different European cultures. He is mainly credited with genre scenes: carnivals, banquets, festivals, love gardens populated by many characters