Adoration by the Shepherds 1625

Joachim Wtewael crafted this "Adoration by the Shepherds", now at the Prado, likely in the early 17th century. Here, light streams upon the newborn Christ, surrounded by humble shepherds bearing witness. Notice how the shepherds, simple folk, are central to the scene. The lamb, traditionally a symbol of innocence and sacrifice, appears here both as a literal animal brought by the shepherds and an allusion to Christ himself. This reflects a concept that extends back to ancient Greece where sacrificial animals were emblems of devotion. The painting subtly marries the divine with the everyday, echoing how, across cultures, symbols shift, adapt, yet retain vestiges of older meanings. It serves as a potent reminder of our shared human capacity to imprint meaning onto the world around us. It is the human act of making meaning that allows powerful and evocative symbols like this to survive and reappear across vast stretches of time.