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This scene is located at middle left on the south wall. It is a nocturnal scene presented in a unique way: the golden yellow glow of the cloud that surrounds the hovering angel bathes the shepherds and their resting place in a bright light that even reaches the trees that crown the mountain peak, while the remainder of the pictorial space is filled with semidarkness. Although the light source is a supernatural one, it produces a natural effect.
Gaddi was much involved in the study of light effects, perhaps as a consequence of the solar eclipses which repeatedly occurred in the 1330s. Studying the solar eclipse in 1339, Gaddi acquired a serious eye illness.
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