In this artwork, how is the Two worlds shown in one painting discussed?
Distortion of body characterizes the Adoration of the Shepherds like many altarpiece paintings of El Greco. Sometimes these were installed at floor level and sometimes high above the viewer, so it is not known if viewing perspective was taken into account. Like earlier designs El Greco made of the same subject, the secular world is shown in the lower half, and the divine world is shown in the upper half. Due to the difficulties of displaying such tall paintings, some of these tall masterpieces by El Greco were cut in half, leaving fragments in various collections such as the heavenly fragment Concert of Angels, today in Athens and the secular fragment Opening of the Fifth Seal, today in New York.
El Greco Opening of the Fifth Seal Concert of Angels