Adoration of the Shepherds

Initially Van Oost was influenced by Rubens and also came into contact with the revolutionary art of Caravaggio during his trip to Italy during the 1620s. The realistic mode of depiction and the use of light with powerful contrasts between bright and dark derive from his great Italian predecessor, making the figures seem threedimensional; yet the sweet, idyllic mood of the shepherd’s adoration differs significantly from the dramatic tone that dominates Caravaggio’s works.