Unknown painter, Birth of Jesus, around 1800

The painting is a popular work from around 1800, but it is not without a sense of lyrical description of the night atmosphere. On our left we have the scene of the birth of Jesus, we see a wooden stable with Jesus, over which Mary bows, and next to her is Joseph standing and praying. In front is a shepherd with a sheep, and behind Mary stands another shepherd. Everything is done in hidden light. The right side of the picture is filled with a scene of preaching to the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem, illuminated by the light of an angel who literally wakes the shepherds with the sheep out of their sleep and lifts them to the light. It is a late baroque painting, which on the other hand already evokes a kind of pre-romantic atmosphere. Judging by the format, the painting was intended for private devotional use, located in the home of a citizen or a wealthy farmer.