Aankondiging aan de herders c. 1735 - 1740

Pierre François Beaumont created this print, titled Aankondiging aan de herders, sometime in the 18th century. Beaumont was working in a society deeply influenced by the Church. Religious narratives were not just spiritual guides but also tools that shaped social and cultural norms. In this image, we see the interplay between the celestial and the earthly. The angel appears before humble shepherds, a scene laden with the symbolism of divine intervention. These figures are often depicted as ordinary, embodying humility and receptiveness, in stark contrast to the powerful elites. The shepherds, caught between awe and disbelief, represent the common person's relationship with the divine. This print invites us to consider the power dynamics inherent in religious narratives, and how such images both reflected and reinforced societal structures.