Adoration of the Shepherds c. 1750

Francesco Fontebasso made this “Adoration of the Shepherds” on paper with pen and brown ink, and watercolor washes sometime in the 1700s. The fluid lines and translucent washes give it a sense of movement, almost as though the scene is unfolding before your eyes. Fontebasso was deeply invested in the Venetian decorative tradition. Though he worked in various media, he emphasized speed and facility in all of them. Look closely, and you will see how quickly he has described each form. This was not about laboriously building up a surface. It was about capturing the essence of a subject, as efficiently as possible. The rapid execution speaks to the demands of the art market in Fontebasso's time. With the rise of a wealthy merchant class, artists were increasingly commissioned to produce works for private collections. “Adoration of the Shepherds” reflects the growing tension between the demand for art as a commodity, and the desire to maintain the status of artmaking as a skilled practice.