Sale Pamono Workshop of Hans (O Johann) von Achen, Adoration of the Shepherds, 1610, Oil on Canvas, Framed

Oil on canvas

112 x 90 cm. / Framed 125 x 102 cm.

The painting we are pleased to offer you, a work of excellent pictorial quality, illustrates the Nativity scene with the Adoration of the Shepherds. Its compositional inspiration comes from the altarpiece that Hans von Achen (Cologne 1552 – Prague 1615) created for the Gothic Evangelical Church of Stitnik (fig. 1), which still hangs in the high altar of the main nave.

from a technical standpoint, we consider our work to be an interesting example from the workshop of von Achen, therefore dating to the late 16th or early 17th century.

The iconography, which enjoyed great popularity at the time thanks to Jan Sadeler’s print (*), was depicted in countless versions.

Therefore, several works are known, both by the painter and by his followers, often with some variation: we can mention the one in the Sabaudia Gallery in Turin (fig. 2), or the one in the Guernsey Museum & Art Gallery (fig. 4).

The painting depicts the moment when the shepherds reach the stable of the Nativity: the Virgin, with Saint Joseph at her side and two magnificent angels participating in the event, is portrayed proudly showing her child to the group of adoring shepherds. Three other playful angels hold up the scroll announcing the birth of the Savior.

The theatricality of the scene, which follows the same structure as the original prototype, is enhanced by the vivid, intense, and brilliant colors, as well as the powerful light that pierces the nocturnal setting.

A German by birth, Hans von Aachen was one of the leading figures of international Mannerism at the turn of the century. His life was marked by a long pilgrimage that, from his hometown of Cologne, took him to Italy for over a decade, specifically to Venice (documented in 1574), then to Rome, where he painted the altarpiece of the Adoration of the Shepherds, and again to Florence (until around 1587). He later traveled to Germany, before settling permanently in Prague in 1592, where he worked for the patron Rudolf II (1552-1612).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The work is sold with a beautiful frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and an iconographic .