Aanbidding door de herders 1639 - 1656

Curator: Allow me to draw your attention to "Adoration of the Shepherds," an engraving by Henri Mauperché, likely completed between 1639 and 1656. It's currently held in the Rijksmuseum's collection. Editor: Immediately, I’m struck by the stark contrast. The composition is dark, heavy, but something about the detailed architectural framework tries to lend it grace. Curator: Precisely. Note the complex interplay of line and form characteristic of the Baroque. Mauperché employs rigorous hatching and cross-hatching, which create depth and texture from a very limited tonal range, considering the medium of print on paper. The print depicts an intricate architectural scene in ruins; look to the arches, colonnades, and temple structures flanking the manger scene in the foreground. Editor: Yet the sacred story almost seems swallowed by this architectural spectacle. It looks more like an opera backdrop than the humble birthplace of Jesus. Consider the implications: is this elevation a way to align power or make it relatable? The shepherd figures, even in adoration, are hemmed in. I am not sure I read that positively given the traditional interpretation. Curator: That's a provocative point. Formally, one could argue that the theatrical staging enhances the divine drama. Note how Mauperché has arranged the shepherds, bathed in light, as if spotlighted on a stage. But, indeed, let us look to its historical construction. There is an argument to be made about the socio-cultural implications—a commentary on the church's power perhaps? Editor: Absolutely. Think about it—shepherds were society’s outcasts, lowest on the rungs. What does it mean when this scene is visually overwhelmed by grand buildings of societal hierarchy? Curator: A stimulating perspective! The work does engage in a compelling dialogue. Editor: Agreed. A valuable point of entry for audiences to begin understanding this art piece through its historical lenses and through its own visual story. Curator: And indeed for engaging with the work on its own, and the architecture’s, terms.