The Adoration of the Shepherds: Nocturne, Rembrandt van Rijn, c. 1657
etching, h 151mm × w 199mm More details
Upon learning of Jesus’ birth, the shepherds journeyed to Bethlehem and found him with his parents in a stable. Rembrandt could not have portrayed the scene as any darker or more tranquil than this. The lantern carried by the arriving shepherds illuminates Mary, who had already fallen asleep. Joseph, reading by the soft glow of his own lamp, looks up with surprise.
