Jacques Waben (Alkmaar 1575–1641 Hoorn) firmato

Jacques Waben (Alkmaar ca. 1575–1641/1642 Hoorn) Signed at the bottom and dated at the bottom in the center 'J. Waben f./1620' The Annunciation to the Shepherds Oil on oak panel 103 x 63 cm (framed 107 x 67 cm) 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 Annunciation to the Shepherds, set in a nocturnal atmosphere, dense in ethos but refined, an episode from 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 which sets the event at night where the shepherds, intent on watching over their flock, were frightened by the sudden appearance of an angel of amazing beauty who we see here radiant with a powerful golden light, while at his side a multitude of other angels of the heavenly host sing praises to God. After exhorting them not to be afraid, he informed them that in Bethlehem a savior, the Messiah, had been born, 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 frequently depicted nocturnal scene by 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 night context. The detail of the descent of the divine word is splendid, synthesized in the rays of light that lead from the angel to 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 offered is one of the rare testimonies of his painting on a religious theme, most likely commissioned for private devotional use or perhaps for a chapel in a small church. It is a work of value and endowed with an effective devotional intensity, capable of involving and fascinating the viewer: incredibly poetic is the dichotomy between the two spatial parts of the panel, the upper one, from which an ethereal and graceful beauty shines through, and the lower one, 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 a descriptive iconographic sheet. We take care of and organize the transport of purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. Please 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/