Schets voor Verkondiging aan de herders c. 1660

This is Moses ter Borch’s sketch for the Annunciation to the Shepherds, made in the mid-17th century. Dominating the composition, angels appear before startled shepherds, a visual shorthand for the biblical account of divine revelation. The motif of divine messengers breaking into earthly life carries echoes through art history, from classical depictions of Hermes to Renaissance annunciations. The shepherds, often depicted with a humble, rustic simplicity, represent humanity’s initial encounter with the sacred, a moment captured across countless altarpieces and illuminated manuscripts. Their startled gestures, their immediate reactions, are a recurrent theme. Think, for instance, of the shepherd’s crook, an emblem of pastoral care, or the lamb, a symbol of innocence and sacrifice. These symbols resonate with collective memory. The emotional intensity of the moment—fear, awe, wonder—is a primal scene played out again and again, engaging us on a subconscious level. This motif has resurfaced and evolved, taking on new meanings across different historical contexts. It is a cyclical progression, forever imprinted in the collective psyche.