Pinturicchio, Adoration of the Shepherds (panel, option 2)

Description

The central wall shows the Adoration of the shepherds, with the arrival of the procession of the Magi in the background. The scene is set in the meadow in front of the hut, which thanks to the perspective from "below up" takes on grandiose proportions, with a clear definition of all the elements. The expedient of opening a small window in the wall from which you can see a clear landscape, a sort of painting within the painting, is adequate. The shepherds in the foreground have affected and expressive somatic features, according to the Flemish example, while the young man with a goat on the left shows a more idealized ephebic beauty, inspired by ancient reliefs with sacrificial subjects.