Art Institute of Chicago
The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds
Rembrandt van Rijn
- Date
- 1634
- Medium
- Etching, engraving, and drypoint in black on ivory laid paper
- Culture
- Holland
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Institution
- Art Institute of Chicago
This nocturnal scene from the Gospel of Luke represents Rembrandt’s first attempt to render shadows in print with the same gravity and depth he achieved in oil paint. In the upper left, an angel stands before a glowing celestial vortex and announces the birth of Christ. At the center of the divine light is the dove of the Holy Spirit, defined by a few small marks. Terrified by the sudden blast in the night, herdsman and their beasts run amok. To depict the stunning collision between heaven and earth, Rembrandt first scratched a detailed compositional outline with a sharp needle and etched lines. He then built a range of grays and deep blacks by crisscrossing layers of lines in varying widths. This fine netting of shadow echoes the spontaneity of the moment and differs from the rigidity and systematized decorative patterns seen in the work of predecessors such as Hendrik Goudt.
The authoritative record is held by Art Institute of Chicago. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.
Related across collections
Semantically similar works from Art Institute of Chicago and other institutions.
De verkondiging aan de herders
Rijksmuseum
De verkondiging aan de herders
Rijksmuseum
The Presentation in the Temple
Cleveland Museum of Art
The Adoration of the Shepherds
Minneapolis Institute of Art
De verkondiging aan de herders
Rijksmuseum
De aanbidding van de herders
Rijksmuseum
De verkondiging aan de herders
Rijksmuseum
De aanbidding der herders: nachtstuk
Rijksmuseum
The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds
Minneapolis Institute of Art
De aanbidding der herders
Rijksmuseum
De engel verschijnt aan Jozef in zijn droom
Rijksmuseum
De aanbidding der herders
Rijksmuseum