oil sketch on panel
Martine Maris, curator of the Rubens House: "The Adoration of the Shepherds is a very accessible theme. The story of the nativity scene is very familiar. Prior to this, Rubens (1577-1640) had already created other depictions of the scene, including one for a publication by the Plantin Press. The childhood friends Rubens and Moretus have a very strong artistic and economic connection, in addition to their personal bond. Rubens creates many book covers and illustrations for the Plantin publishing house. They are also entirely on the same wavelength intellectually. Together, they produce several scientific books. Rubens applies the theories from those books in his work or in the way he organises himself."
"In this work, the successful light-dark effect stands out. A finished painting can be fantastic, but in an oil sketch like this, the creativity is even more immediate. You can see the genius that is captured on a small panel in just a few minutes or hours. That is precisely why Rubens also collects oil sketches by other artists whom he admires."
You will find the work in Room 10, Christoffel Plantin's office.
