Aanbidding der herders - Jacob Matham

A circular pen and ink drawing by Jacob Matham depicting the Adoration of the Shepherds, framed by an ornate border with Dutch inscriptions.

This work by Jacob Matham presents a circular composition depicting the Adoration of the Shepherds. Matham, a Dutch engraver and draughtsman, was a pupil of Hendrick Goltzius and a significant figure in the Haarlem school. The scene is framed by an ornate, cartouche-like border containing Dutch text, which serves to integrate the religious narrative with a commemorative or gift-giving context. The central figures of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child are surrounded by kneeling shepherds, while an angel hovers above, bearing a scroll inscribed with the traditional Gloria in excelsis Deo.

The draughtsmanship displays the characteristic fluidity of late sixteenth and early seventeenth-century Dutch drawing. Matham employs fine pen lines to define the figures and architectural elements, supplemented by grey washes to establish volume and shadow. The inclusion of a classical statue in the background provides a stylistic contrast to the rustic setting of the Nativity, a common device in Northern Mannerist art to suggest the transition from pagan antiquity to the Christian era. Below the circular image, a rectangular panel contains a lengthy inscription in Dutch, written in a cursive hand. This text provides historical and moral context, linking the act of artistic creation to the preservation of tradition and virtue. The overall design suggests this may have been a preparatory study for a print or a decorative object intended for a specific patron. The balance between the narrative scene and the calligraphic elements demonstrates the artist's skill in combining graphic arts with literary components. This piece offers a view into the workshop practices of the period, where religious themes were frequently adapted for private devotion or commemorative purposes.