Adoration of the Shepherds with Saints Francis and Carlo Borromeo

Tanzio employs a dramatic chiaroscuro, casting deep shadows that isolate the central figures while a focused light illuminates faces and hands, creating a three‑dimensional effect. The figures are rendered with the muscular vigor of late Mannerism, yet the overall dynamism anticipates early Baroque sensibilities.

Active in Lombardy during the transition from Mannerism to Baroque, Tanzio was a contemporary of Giovanni Battista Crespi and Giulio Cesare Procaccini. After its creation, the painting entered private collections before being acquired by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where it remains on display.

The inclusion of Saint Charles Borromeo, a leading figure of the 16th‑century Catholic reform, reflects the Counter‑Reformation’s emphasis on saintly intercession. By pairing him with Saint Francis, the artist bridges medieval mysticism and post‑Tridentine reformist ideals within a single devotional image.