Focus on Adoration of the Shepherds (El Greco, Madrid) and discuss the Description.
Extreme distortion of body characterizes the Adoration of the Shepherds like all the last paintings of El Greco. The infant Christ seems to emit a light which plays off the faces of the barefoot shepherds who have gathered to pay homage to his miraculous birth. A rhythmic energy animates the painting, expressed in the dance-like motions of the figures. Striking contrasts between light and dark passages heighten the sense of drama. The group of angels which hovers over the scene may resemble the missing section of The Opening of the Fifth Seal.
Opening of the Fifth Seal The Opening of the Fifth Seal El Greco