CC BY 4.0
Joseph Heintz
The Adoration of the Shepherds, 1599
About the object
Joseph Heintz, court painter to Emperor Rudolph II in Prague, creates a work in a very small space that skilfully draws from the treasure trove of the past greats. The adoration of the baby Jesus by the shepherds is enriched by means of allusions to Antonio Correggio and Jacopo Tintoretto, but also Hans Holbein the Younger, resulting in a multi-layered interpretation. The copper plate was possibly part of a series featuring scenes from the Life of Mary.