Francesco Antonio Altobello (Barletta 1637-after 1695)

Francesco Antonio Altobello trained under Carlo Rosa in Apulia. By 1687 he is documented in Naples, probably having moved there during the 1670s. The works from this period represent the height of his artistic development, and include the present Adoration of the Shepherds, which can be dated to circa 1680 based on its close correspondence with two canvases in the Neapolitan church of Santa Maria la Nova: the Visitation and the Vision of St Francis, both produced circa 1680. All three paintings display Altobello’s clear knowledge and understanding of the use of color and chiaroscuro found in works produced by Mattia Preti and the young Luca Giordano in the second half of the 1650s. Nicola Spinosa considers the present canvas to be among the best examples of the artist’s work.