Verkondiging aan de herders 1720 - 1772

Wallerant Vaillant created this mezzotint titled ‘Annunciation to the Shepherds’ sometime in the mid-17th century. At the time, the Dutch Republic was a Protestant nation, with its own distinctive interpretation of biblical stories and Vaillant here depicts a scene from the Gospel of Luke in which an angel announces the birth of Jesus to a group of shepherds. The scene is notable, not only for its religious significance, but also for its social context. The shepherds were among the lowest members of society, and yet they were chosen to be the first to hear the good news. Vaillant's choice of mezzotint – a printmaking technique that allows for rich tonal gradations – evokes the ethereal quality of the divine presence and throws the figures into sharp relief. Looking at an image like this, art historians consult period sources, such as religious texts, sermons, and popular literature to understand how the Dutch people of the time viewed biblical events and how this print might reflect or challenge those views.