Jacques Waben (Alkmaar ca. 1575–1641/1642 Hoorn)Signed below and dated below in the center ‘J. Waben f./1620’ The Annunciation to the Shepherds Oil on oak panel 103 x 63 cm in frame 107 x 67 Provenance: Vienna Palais Dorotheum Old master painting 10.12.2015 (lot 143) URL: https://www.dorotheum.com/it/l/2193809/ This is a spectacular depiction of the theme of the Annunciation to the Shepherds, set in a nocturnal atmosphere full of photos but refined, an episode of the birth of Jesus reported by the Gospel according to Luke (Luke 2:8-15), in which an angel announces the birth of Christ to a group of shepherds. We see the scene exactly as described by the gospel passage that sets the event at night where the shepherds, intent on watching over their flock, were frightened by the sudden appearance of an angel of astonishing beauty who we see here irradiated by a powerful golden light, while at his side a multitude of other angels of the heavenly host sing praises to God. After urging them not to be afraid, he informed them that a savior, the Messiah, had been born in Bethlehem, whom they would find wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger, cared for by the Virgin and Saint Joseph. The Annunciation to the Shepherds was the most represented nocturnal scene in Flemish painting from the 15th century onwards, evocative and extremely fascinating. The theatricality of the scene is enhanced by the vivid, intense and brilliant colors, as well as by the force of the flashes of light that pierce the setting of the nocturnal context. The detail of the descent of the divine word is splendid, synthesized in the rays of light that from the angel end on the shepherds dazzled by his power. Of excellent quality, the work is signed and dated by the painter Jacques Waben (Alkmaar ca. 1575–1641/1642 Hoorn), a talented Dutch portrait painter of the Golden Age. The superb panel proposed is one of the rare testimonies of his religious-themed painting, most likely commissioned for private devotional use or perhaps for a chapel in a small church. It is a valuable work with an effective devotional intensity, capable of engaging and fascinating the viewer: the dichotomy between the two spatial parts of the panel is incredibly poetic, the upper part, from which an ethereal and graceful beauty shines through, and the lower part, where on the contrary the predominant sense is that of an earthly drama, with the shepherds who seem overwhelmed by divine force. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The painting is completed by a wooden frame and is sold with a certificate of authenticity and descriptive iconographic sheet. We take care of and organize the transport of purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. Contact us for any information, we will be happy to answer you. Follow us also on: https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/