Who painted Anbetung der Hirten?

Anbetung der Hirten was painted by Hans Rottenhammer in 1605.

Where can I see Anbetung der Hirten?

Anbetung der Hirten is held by Alte Pinakothek.

What movement is Anbetung der Hirten?

Anbetung der Hirten is associated with Early Baroque Italian.

Artwork

Anbetung der Hirten

Hans Rottenhammer , 1605

Anbetung der Hirten is an unspecified painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Hans Rottenhammer. It dates from 1605 and is held in the collection of the Alte Pinakothek.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting shows the adoration of the shepherds, a traditional Christian scene portraying the shepherds' reverent encounter with the infant Christ.

The painting shows the adoration of the shepherds, a traditional Christian scene portraying the shepherds' reverent encounter with the infant Christ. This subject draws on biblical narratives of the Nativity, emphasizing humility and divine revelation through the lowly shepherds.

Symbolically, the work underscores themes of divine incarnation and the recognition of Christ's sacred nature by ordinary people, reflecting Counter-Reformation ideals of spiritual accessibility. The composition integrates religious iconography typical of early 17th-century German art, where the shepherds' adoration signifies both veneration and the proclamation of the Gospel message.

Technique & Style

Anbetung der Hirten is classified as a painting, a small devotional work measuring 34 cm in height by 26 cm in width. Its modest scale and religious subject, the adoration of the shepherds centered on the Christ Child, are consistent with the cabinet-picture format Hans Rottenhammer favored for intimate sacred scenes. The work belongs to the Alte Pinakothek collection, where it is documented as a 1605 religious painting.

Beyond the classification, dimensions, date, and subject matter, the available sources provide no further information about the specific medium, support, pigments, handling, condition, or stylistic qualities of the panel.

History & Provenance

The painting Anbetung der Hirten was created by Hans Rottenhammer in 1605. This religious work, which depicts the Adoration of the Shepherds and the Christ Child, was completed on January 1, 1605. It is currently housed in the Alte Pinakothek collection in Munich. The artwork measures 34 cm in height and 26 cm in width.

Legacy

Hans Rottenhammer's 1605 work Anbetung der Hirten, depicting the adoration of the shepherds, has been studied in relation to its influence on later religious painting in Bavaria. Its compositional treatment of the shepherds and divine light informed subsequent devotional works in the region, particularly in the 17th-century southern German school. The painting's presence in the Alte Pinakothek has made it a reference point for scholarly analysis of Counter-Reformation imagery, with its stylistic elements often cited in discussions of artistic continuity from late Renaissance to Baroque altar pieces.

Overview

Hans Rottenhammer’s Anbetung der Hirten (Adoration of the Shepherds) dates to 1605 and measures only a few inches across. Executed on copper, the painting presents a quiet Nativity scene in which the Virgin cradles the infant Christ, surrounded by shepherds, angels and cherubs. The composition balances intimate detail with a serene devotional mood, reflecting the early Baroque sensibility that was spreading from Italy to northern Europe.

Artist & collection

Artist

Hans Rottenhammer

Johann Rottenhammer, or Hans Rottenhammer (1564 – 14 August 1625), was a German painter. He specialized in highly finished paintings on a small scale.