Public domain
The adoration of the shepherds
From the collection of Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The adoration of the shepherds has often been depicted in graphic art. Rembrandt’s version is exceptional for the extreme rendering of the nocturnal gloom in the stable. To achieve this velvety darkness, he successively reduced the light in subsequent states. In this impression, he intensified the shadow around Joseph, so that only his book and the faces of Mary and the Christ Child are still illuminated.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam’s own descriptionSubjects
Credit lineDe aanbidding van de herders. c. 1657. Rembrandt van Rijn. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Public domain.
