PIETER AERTSEN Amsterdam, Netherlands (1507) / (1575) "The

Oil on panel Provenance: -Private collection, Seville Pieter Aersten was a genre painter, religious subjects and especially known for being the introducer of the large kitchen still lifes. His style mixes the realism of northern painting with the introduction of certain Italian elements. There are several versions of the Adoration of the Shepherds painted by Aersten, although none with a composition exactly like this one, where the Child is placed parallel, in the foreground, to the spectator. Like the others, the present work shows a somewhat cluttered composition, with the characters presented in three-quarters, practically piled up, painted with great realism, this being one of his most outstanding contributions, by introducing religious themes into an everyday setting. The serenity of the Virgin's face, like the figures of Saint Joseph and the peasants, is repeated in many of his works. The representation of the ox's head in the foreground looking at the spectator is also repeated, being an anecdotal element very much to the painter's taste. For these reasons, this unpublished panel could be attributed to the master Pieter Aersten, although it is important to mention that, like many other painters of the time, he had an important workshop with numerous disciples who continued his style to a greater or lesser extent, among whom were Johannes Stradanus (1523 - 1605), Joachim Beuckelaer (c. 1533 - c. 1570/4) or his own sons, especially Pieter Pietersz the Elder (1540-1603). Dimensions: 82 x 106 cm