In 1991 the Agnes Etherington Art Centre acquired a remarkable small Adoration of the Shepherds painting by El Greco with the support of Alfred and Isabel Bader. For scholar David McTavish, this was the beginning of an adventure in tracing the work’s origins to El Greco’s early career, and more specifically to his first major transition from his native Crete to the artistic hotbed of Venice. Using investigative methods that include radiography and infared refelectography, the author maps out the work’s position in relation to the artist’s early production but also to Cretan art, Renaissance prints and works by Titian, whose ability to convey dramatic light and dynamic movement left an indelible mark on his young Greek follower.