A version of *The Adoration of the Shepherds* from the studio of Gerrit van Honthorst, known as Gherardo della Notte

Born into a family of artists, Gerrit (or Gerard) (1590–1656) became famous for his night scenes, which include *The Adoration of the Shepherds*. The artist studied in Utrecht under Abraham Bloemaert, before travelling to Italy in 1610, where he gained widespread recognition and discovered Caravaggio and his spectacular use of chiaroscuro.

On his return to the Netherlands, he became one of the leading figures in a group of Dutch painters, followers of Caravaggio, who would later be known as the ‘Caravaggist School of Utrecht’. Two versions of *The Adoration of the Shepherds*, now in Cologne and Greifswald, are dated 1622; their far more fluid and precise execution suggests that the Aulteribe version was probably executed by Gerrit van Honthorst’s workshop, rather than by the master himself.

Caravaggio’s influence is evident here, although the artist develops a personal approach through a softer colour palette and a depiction of the shepherds that avoids exaggeration, verging almost on a genre scene. In all three versions, the faces are rendered in warm tones that form a striking contrast with the dazzling, almost supernatural whiteness of the Infant Jesus, thus juxtaposing the sacred and the profane.

Van Honthorst subsequently moved away from these Caravaggesque nocturnal scenes. In the United Kingdom and The Hague, he mainly painted portraits. However, it was his leading role amongst Caravaggio’s followers in Utrecht that constituted his most significant contribution to the history of Dutch art.