The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds
- MAKER:
Artist
Rembrandt van Rijn ( Dutch, 1606 - 1669 )
- DATE:
- 1634
General Description
This is one of Rembrandt's most dramatic etchings. The story is taken from the Gospel of Luke, where an angel of the Lord announces to the shepherds the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the city seen in the background. The vivid contrast between celestial light and earthly darkness speaks eloquently of the drama of divine intervention.
A technically daring work in which almost the entire plate is etched black, this was Rembrandt's first etching of a night scene. It represents a masterpiece in which the technical and expressive limits of the etching medium were extended to their utmost.
Web Resources
-
Rijiksmuseum, Amsterdam
Check out this self portrait of Rembrandt c. 1628. -
YouTube
Watch this video about an exhibition at the Frick Collection, New York, from 2011 tilted _Rembrandt and His School: Masterworks from the Frick and Lugt Collections. _ -
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Read the complete story of the birth of Christ from the Gospel of Luke including the visitation of the shepherds.