The Adoration of the Shepherds

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Artist Hendrick Goltzius (Dutch, January or February 1558–1617)

Title The Adoration of the Shepherds

Date 1598–1600

Medium Engraving and drypoint on paper

Dimensions Image: 7 7/8 × 5 15/16 in. (20 × 15.1 cm)
Plate: 8 3/8 × 5 15/16 in. (21.3 × 15.1 cm)
Sheet: 8 1/2 × 6 1/16 in. (21.6 × 15.4 cm)

Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 63.145

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About this Work

In Hendrick Goltzius’s unfinished print of the Adoration of the Shepherds, the artist presents an unusually intimate approach to the scene, eliminating all details of the story except for the figures themselves. The candle held by Joseph over the lower left of the composition, where the Christ Child was intended to be, refers to the visions of Saint Bridget of Sweden, which describes the material light of a candle held by Joseph as totally overshadowed by the divine light from the infant. Joseph is often associated with the shepherds as one of the first to view the Christ Child.

Provenance
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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

Publisher Jacob Matham (Dutch, October 15, 1571–January 20, 1631)

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"The Adoration of the Shepherds | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=63.145