School of Picardy, 15th century

This charming depiction of the Annunciation to the Shepherds was painted in the late 15th century in the Picardy region of Northern France, which due to its proximity to Flanders was greatly influenced by Flemish culture and artistic developments.  Beginning in 1419, the Picardy counties--including Amiens, Boulogne, and Vermandos--were gradually overtaken by the Burgundian Duke Philip the Good; following the Burgundian Wars, King Louis XI of France took control of the region.