Aanbidding door de herders 1611

"Adoration of the Shepherds" was created by Lucas Kilian, an engraver working in Augsburg around the turn of the 17th century. Here, Kilian depicts a key scene from the Nativity story, filtered through the lens of his time. Consider the cultural and religious tensions simmering in Europe during Kilian's life. The Protestant Reformation had shaken the foundations of the Catholic Church. In this sociopolitical climate, the choice to depict a scene of humble adoration takes on added significance. The shepherds, traditionally figures of the working class, represent a kind of everyman, offering their respect to the newborn Christ. Their inclusion suggests a broad, inclusive appeal of the Christian message. How does Kilian navigate the visual language of devotion and the social realities of his time? In the expressions and postures of the figures, there is a pronounced reverence, yet they are also rendered with a certain earthiness. The image offers us a glimpse into the complex interplay of faith, society, and artistic expression during a period of profound change.