In this painting from Testa’s early maturity (about 1638-40), a group of eager shepherds presses forward to admire the new-born baby Jesus, having been summoned by the angel who appears in the sky in the background. Best known now for his drawings and prints, Testa became increasingly frustrated at his lack of success as a painter of grand historical subjects and eventually took his own life. The angular treatment of the figures and draperies is typical of Testa’s style.