The Adoration of the Shepherds, Andrea Mantegna.
In the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Click “Fullscreen” under the image and use zoom controls or download arrow.
Painted in the mid 15th century, this astonishingly sculptural Nativity scene is a marvel of details and textures, from the craggy face of a weary Joseph and the grotesque face of the foreground shepherd, to the wonderfully geometrical rocks, banks and cliffs that form the setting.
The deep and richly detailed background is filled with marvelous landscape elements; multiple scenes unfold on the roads, hills, waterway and cliffside.
Even the multitude of pebbles throughout the image are rendered with loving detail.
Wonderful.