Oil on canvas. Bolognese school of the late 17th century.
In the foreground, occupying the entire left side of the scene, lies the sleeping Baby Jesus, reclining backwards in a pose of complete abandonment to sleep, with a serene smile on his face; on the right side, delimited diagonally by the raised cloth, two figures, presumably two shepherds, look at the child with a look of deep and serious adoration and make the gesture of covering him, a gesture that indicates tenderness but symbolically prefigures the sacrifice of Christ (the deposition of his body after the Crucifixion). The supine position of the Child, adored by Mary or by shepherds, was introduced by Guido Reni, who created several works with this subject, then widely taken up by his followers and by the Bolognese school of the seventeenth century.
As in the works of Guido Reni, in this painting too the light emanates directly from the Baby Jesus, illuminating the devout faces of those who adore him.
Already previously relined, the painting shows traces of extensive restorations.
It is presented in a stylish frame.
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PLATINUM Seller in Milano, Italy
