Masters of the Life of Christ

Masters/James Tissot/The Adoration of the Shepherds

The Adoration of the Shepherds, opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper by James Tissot, 1886–1894

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The shepherds have found the stable and crowd in from the left, peering over each other’s shoulders. Mary sits in white with the child in the straw. Tissot fills the cave with ordinary faces, the first people to hear the news and come.

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Masters of the Life of Christ

A free gallery from Weak Things. The paintings and prints shown here are in the public domain, and each painting page credits its image source. In the United States, faithful photographs of public-domain paintings are not copyrightable (Bridgeman v. Corel). Works by Arnold Friberg, Harry Anderson and Del Parson are under copyright and are not shown; their wings link to official sources.

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