Dutch painter Matthias Stomer created this picture in the first half of the 17th century. He painted a famous religious theme: the shepherds who were the first to learn of the birth of Jesus Christ came to adore the baby.

The Gospels do not specify the number of the shepherds; therefore, painters define it in various ways. Stomer painted two shepherds, who are standing at both edges of the picture and are holding heavy wooden staffs in their hands.

Stomer uses subdued colors: brown, grey and golden. The brightest spot in the picture is the garment of the Virgin Mary, painted in red and blue.

In the picture, the painter did not provide any concrete details that would indicate the place and the time of the subject. At the same time, he paid due attention to the features of the characters. For instance, Stomer naturalistically painted weather-beaten and wrinkled faces, their dry and rough hands.

Little is known about the artist’s biography. Stomer was born in Amersfoort in the Netherlands and, when young, left for Rome to study fine arts. Most of his life he lived in Italy, and this fact influenced his creative work. He died after 1652. At that time, he painted his last work: a picture of a church altar in the city of Chiuduno.