Adoration of the Christ Child

The Master of San Ildefonso was an anonymous Netherlandish painter active in the late fifteenth century, named after a work at Valladolid. This Adoration of the Christ Child from around 1489 reflects the export of Netherlandish devotional painting to Spanish collections. The intimate Nativity scene, focusing on the adoration of the newborn Christ, emphasizes the tender, devotional mood favored by late fifteenth-century patrons.

Oil on panel with luminous Netherlandish technique and careful attention to lighting effects. The nocturnal Nativity scene uses the radiant Christ Child as the primary light source, a popular compositional device.