The annunciation to the shepherds

The Annunciation to the Shepherds was created by Dirck Wijntrack in 1670, executed in oil paint on canvas. The painting entered the holdings of the Rijksmuseum and is associated with the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands Art Collection and the Instituut Collectie Nederland. It is currently held at the Rijksmuseum depot of the RCE (Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed).

No information regarding a specific commissioner, prior owners, or intermediate transfers in the ownership chain is documented in the available sources.

The painting is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it is part of the broader Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands Art Collection managed in conjunction with the Instituut Collectie Nederland. It is stored at the depot of the Rijks Cultural Heritage Agency (depot RCE) rather than on continuous gallery display.

No specific inventory or accession number is recorded in the available sources, and no exhibition history is documented.

Dirck Wijntrack’s oil painting, dated 1670, portrays the biblical moment when angels announce the birth of Christ to the shepherds. Executed in a modest size, the work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and exemplifies the artist’s focus on intimate, devotional scenes.

The work reflects the period’s interest in domesticating biblical events, presenting holy stories within familiar, rural settings. Wijntrack’s choice of a stable scene aligns with contemporary devotional practices that sought to make the divine accessible to everyday viewers.