De engel verschijnt aan Jozef in een droom 1606 - 1675

Abraham van Diepenbeeck created this drawing, "The Angel Appears to Joseph in a Dream," using pen and brush in the Netherlands, likely in the mid-17th century. The image, illustrating a scene from the Gospel of Matthew, invites us to consider the social and religious life of the Dutch Golden Age. Note the angel, a common trope in religious art, here disrupts the domestic sphere, appearing to Joseph in his bedchamber. We see Mary in the background, kneeling in prayer. The inclusion of Joseph’s tools at the bottom right subtly remind us of his occupation as a carpenter, grounding the scene in the everyday reality of the working class. This was a period of intense religious and political upheaval, following the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule. Protestantism was on the rise, influencing artistic expression. By examining period literature, theological debates, and social histories, we can understand how van Diepenbeeck's work engages with the complex relationship between faith, society, and individual experience.