The Shepherds and the Angel

Description

The Shepherds and the Angel

Carl Heinrich Bloch, 1879

Raising his hand in a gesture of greeting, the angel awakens the sleeping shepherds. They respond in amazement to the words of the angel. One shepherd shields his eyes with his hand from the “glory of the Lord” that “shone round about them.” Another bows his head to the ground in reverence at hearing this sacred proclamation. Others kneel with their hands folded in gestures of worship. Even the sheep are attentive to the appearance of the angel. The light emanating from the holy being fills the darkness of the night; the new star appears in the heavens. The adoring gestures and facial expressions of the shepherds direct our attention back to the angel.

(Excerpt taken from “The Master’s Hand: the Art of Carl Heinrich Bloch“)

The Shepherds and the Angel was displayed in our Sacred Gifts and The Master’s Hand exhibitions.

More About Bloch

Carl Bloch was an academic Danish painter who is best known for his paintings depicting the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

He received his artistic training at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. Later, while living in Rome for several years, Bloch studied paintings by the great Italian masters.

When he returned to Copenhagen, Bloch quickly established a reputation as a religious painter. This led to major commissions for paintings in churches and chapels of Denmark and Sweden.

His extensive body of work includes over 250 paintings and 78 etchings. Still, Bloch considered his religious works to be his most valuable contributions. His productive career ended early when he died of cancer at the age of only fifty-five.