The Adoration of the Shepherds

Bartolo di Fredi was one of the most prolific Sienese painters of the second half of the Trecento, known for his vivid narrative cycles and expressive figural style. This Adoration of the Shepherds of around 1374, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, depicts the moment when shepherds arrive to venerate the newborn Christ, a subject that gained devotional prominence through Franciscan Nativity spirituality. Bartolo's work maintained the coloristic brilliance and decorative richness of the Sienese tradition established by the Lorenzetti brothers.

Painted in egg tempera on panel with gold ground, the scene features Bartolo's characteristic lively figural animation, bright saturated colors, and detailed narrative incident set within a rocky landscape and architectural stable rendered with Sienese decorative flair.