Adoration of the Shepherds

The 'Adoration of the Shepherds' is a profound Religious painting conceived by El Greco in the last year of his life. Embedded within this artwork are the hallmarks of Mannerism (late renaissance), seen in the distorted proportions and heightened emotional expressivity of the subjects. The painting, executed with oil paints on a canvas, represents the traditional episode of the Adoration of the Shepherds, brightly illuminated against a dark background. El Greco intended this seminal piece to sit above his tomb in the convent of Santo Domingo el Antiguo in Toledo, a personal testament to his religious devotion and artistic mastery.