The Adoration of the Shepherds 1657

Curator: Jan Cossiers painted this "Adoration of the Shepherds" in 1657, currently held in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Editor: Okay, right off the bat, I get a feeling of chaotic joy from this piece. It's got that classic Baroque drama, but with this wonderfully disheveled, almost earthy feel. Curator: The Baroque style is certainly pronounced here. Look at the dynamism, the way the figures are arranged in a swirling composition, directing your gaze from the angels above to the infant below. Baroque painters were masters of eliciting emotion. What do you make of the symbols woven throughout the scene? Editor: Well, the obvious stuff, like the angels singing with a scroll—definitely feels like a divine pronouncement. And the shepherds with their staffs...they look so wonderfully stunned. But there is this little sheep at the bottom corner that caught my eye! The lamb has a heavy presence—a real earthy texture to it. What are we meant to be thinking about when we consider its presence? Curator: The lamb, traditionally, symbolizes Christ's sacrifice. But in this context, it may also signify the humility and simplicity associated with the pastoral life of the shepherds, aligning them as worthy witnesses to the divine event. Cossiers blends the celestial with the grounded reality. Editor: I dig that! The halos feel quite understated, almost democratic. The drama of this moment is caught between heaven and earth. It makes me wonder... How did Cossiers want everyday people to feel in the face of religious narrative, divine spectacle, when confronting the painting itself? Curator: I would say it's an attempt to bridge the earthly and the divine, reminding the viewer of the extraordinary potential within the ordinary. Editor: True! Well, that’s given me plenty to chew on. What a reminder to find the extraordinary in the disheveled, unexpected moments, and unexpected places of life. Curator: A fitting thought. Thank you for your insight; I always find new dimensions when looking at works of art in discussion with a practicing artist!