The Adoration of the Shepherds
late 1650s
Medium
White and gray opaque watercolor and black ink on cream laid paper prepared with brown wash
Dimensions
19.5 × 22.8 cm (7 11/16 × 9 in.)
Classification
prints and drawing
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
185815
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
By preparing his paper with a dark-brown wash to which a white oil-based pigment was added, Gerrit van Battem achieved the strong and meaningful effect of light-dark contrast. In this Adoration scene Battem emphasized the wonder of the shepherds who come to greet the Christ child. Despite the scene’s nocturnal setting, so dark that the cow’s head in the background is barely visible, the divinity of the Christ child shines with an abundant brightness that causes the shepherds to raise their hands...