Hugo van der Goes. Kerstverhaal. Aanbidding der Herders

Van der Goes employs the meticulous detail typical of the Flemish Primitives, rendering faces with lifelike expression and clothing with convincingly heavy folds. A vivid palette of saturated reds and deep blues draws the viewer’s eye to the central figures, while delicate modeling creates a sense of three‑dimensional space within the shallow pictorial plane.

Created in the late 15th century, the panel eventually entered the collection of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, where it remains on display. Documentation of its early ownership is scarce, but the work has been recorded in scholarly catalogues since the 19th century, confirming its attribution to van der Goes.

The painting reflects the devotional climate of the Burgundian Netherlands, where patrons commissioned intimate, narrative scenes for private contemplation. Van der Goes, a leading figure among the Flemish Primitives, contributed to the development of naturalistic representation that would influence later Northern Renaissance artists.