Artwork
Die Anbetung der Hirten
Die Anbetung der Hirten is an unspecified painting by Hans Rottenhammer. It dates from 1604 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Hans Rottenhammer’s *Die Anbetung der Hirten*, executed around 1604, presents a compact Nativity tableau centered on the infant Christ. The work belongs to the religious painting tradition and is part of the Alte Pinakothek’s holdings in Munich. Rottenhammer, a German artist active in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, is noted for his finely rendered, small‑scale compositions.
Subject & Meaning
The composition gathers shepherds and a kneeling woman, likely the Virgin Mary, around the newborn. The infant is swaddled in white, while three cherubic figures hover above, bearing a banner that alludes to the divine announcement of the birth. The varied reactions of the surrounding figures—ranging from astonishment to concern—underscore the miraculous nature of the event.
Technique & Style
Rottenhammer employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, illuminating the mother and child against a deep, shadowed background. This contrast heightens the sense of reverence and draws the viewer’s eye to the central figures. The artist’s characteristic meticulous detail appears in the richly colored robes of the shepherds—reds, greens, golds—and in the delicate rendering of the cherubs.
History & Provenance
Born in 1564, Rottenhammer worked across Italy and Germany, integrating Northern precision with Italianate compositional strategies.
Born in 1564, Rottenhammer worked across Italy and Germany, integrating Northern precision with Italianate compositional strategies. *Die Anbetung der Hirten* entered the Alte Pinakothek’s collection, where it remains on display. The painting’s provenance reflects the museum’s focus on early Baroque religious works and its commitment to preserving Rottenhammer’s contribution to the period’s visual culture.
Artist & collection
Artist
Johann Rottenhammer, or Hans Rottenhammer (1564 – 14 August 1625), was a German painter. He specialized in highly finished paintings on a small scale.
Anbetung durch die Hirten (Kopie nach)
Anbetung der Hirten
The Adoration of the Shepherds
Adoration of the Shepherds
The Adoration of the Shepherds (after Diego Velázquez)
The Adoration of the Shepherds
Adoration of the Shepherds
The Nativity
The Adoration of the Shepherds
The Adoration of the Shepherds
The Adoration of the Shepherds
Adoration of the Shepherds