Aanbidding der herders 1590 - 1622

This engraving, "Adoration of the Shepherds," presents a scene steeped in Christian iconography. The divine light emanating from the Christ Child, the angel hovering above, and the reverent gestures of the shepherds, are potent symbols of divinity manifested in the humble. Light, in particular, is a recurring motif, symbolizing enlightenment, purity, and divine presence, traceable from ancient sun-worship to its integration in Christian art as a representation of God's grace. The shepherd's crook, an ancient symbol of guidance and care, echoes through history from pastoral imagery to royal scepters. The posture of kneeling, repeated across cultures, speaks to inherent human responses to the sacred, tapping into a collective memory of reverence. The emotional power lies in the intimate depiction of humility and awe before the divine. These symbols, far from being static, evolve and resurface, carrying the weight of history while continuously acquiring new layers of meaning.