This fine, rich impression of Rembrandt's The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds illustrates Luke 2:8-14, wherein an angel announces the birth of Christ to a group of shepherds in a field at night. The Bible describes the shepherd's fear and surprise at the angel's visit, and Rembrandt interprets this human reaction as a confrontation, with the heavenly being as the main subject of the print. One shepherd runs away in panic while others remain frozen to the ground. Rembrandt even envisions the reaction of the cattle to the appearance of the angel and the bright heavenly light, making the herd bolt away in all directions.

This is the first etched nocturnal scene that Rembrandt made, and is a true testament to his mastery of the medium. Depicting a night scene in an etching is particularly hard as the artist must preserve the highlights in the copperplate and work with incredible nuances to create the illusion of dusky shadows. Rembrandt succeeded in the creation of a striking and dramatic image. The composition is cleverly divided into four fields: heaven, earth, a distant landscape with lush trees, and bushes nearby, giving the image a great sense of space and balance. The contrasts between light, dark, staticity and movement draw the viewer's eye to the image repeatedly. The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds reflects two of the most important aspects of Rembrandt’s art: his experimentation with the manipulation of light and the representation of just emotions with unidealized naturalness.