The Adoration of the Shepherds 1757

Editor: Here we have Franz Anton Maulbertsch's drawing, "The Adoration of the Shepherds" from 1757. Done in pencil, it's a flurry of figures, rendered with incredible lightness. There's something almost dreamlike about it. What do you see in this piece? Curator: A dream is a perfect way to describe it! I'm struck by the almost explosive energy within what appears to be a serene scene. It’s like witnessing the very moment an idea takes flight. Maulbertsch has this amazing talent for capturing raw emotion with minimal strokes. Notice how the figures are loosely sketched, yet their awe and wonder are palpable. What does it evoke in *you*? Does it make you question the usual stillness we attribute to such scenes? Editor: Definitely! I'm so used to seeing the Nativity depicted with, like, solemn reverence. This feels so much more dynamic, more human. Almost like a glimpse behind the curtain. The sketchy quality makes it feel…vulnerable, somehow? Curator: Exactly! And consider this: it’s from the Baroque period, known for its grandeur and drama. Maulbertsch takes that inherent theatricality and infuses it with something so deeply personal. It feels almost like peeking into his own prayer. Imagine him, pencil in hand, meditating on this holy scene. Each stroke a thought, a breath, a whisper. What story does the artwork appear to be communicating to its audience? Editor: It’s kind of like…he's not just showing us the scene, but the act of *believing* in the scene. And seeing his process like this – seeing his hand at work – that feels almost revolutionary for the time! I love that. Thanks so much! Curator: The pleasure is all mine! It is pieces like this that reveal how the spiritual is never stale or finished; it lives and breaths within us, always sketched, never fully finalized. And always up for our personal reflection.