Anbetung der Hirten

The Adoration of the Shepherds

The Virgin supports the Christ Child while the shepherds pay homage. Saint Joseph rests on his staff behind them. This work was bought in 1853 as a fine example of Velázquez's Sevillian period. Shortly afterwards the attribution was questioned by scholars and has remained a mystery. The naturalism and sombre palette seem typically Spanish, but they are also characteristic of artists working in Naples.