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Francesco Fontebasso

Adoration of the Shepherds

c. 1750
Pen and brown ink and brush and black ink, with black and red ink washes, over black chalk, on ivory laid paper
46.4 × 33.5 cm (18.3 × 13.2 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Here Francesco Fontebasso depicted the biblical story of the birth of Christ, pairing three astonished shepherds, who surround the Virgin and Child at center, with four angelic putti hovering above the humble manger. Joseph kneels in the right foreground. An independent work, not related to a painting, the drawing is densely layered. Different colors of ink and wash delineate the figures’ garments and the manger’s rough walls and capture the effects of celestial light.

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