Summoned by an angel, a group of fascinated shepherds crowd around to admire the new-born baby Jesus. The baby is surrounded by a divine light that bathes the scene with a warm glow. One early source described this painting as a copy after a lost work by Domenichino’s master, Annibale Carracci. In fact the composition is Domenichino’s own, albeit strongly influenced by Carracci. At the time this painting was made Domenichino was still making frequent visits to Carracci’s studio in Rome.