The plate was part of the sale by Pieter de Haan (1767, lot 13). It was sold via Fouquet to Claude-Henri Watelet. It then became part of the set of plates subsequently owned and used for printing Recueils by Pierre-François Basan, Henri-Louis Basan (his nr 1382), Auguste Jean (ca 1809), Veuve Jean, auctioned in 1846 (lot 540) to Auguste and Michel Bernard. Sold to Alvin-Beaumont (1906) and Robert Lee Humber (1937). It was sold at the Artemis sale in London (1993) and is now probably in a private collection in Switzerland (Kornfeld?).

Luke 2, verses 15-18 describes the visit of the shepherds to the new-born Child.

This etching is considerably larger than the six works about Jesus’ childhood made in 1654. The two only sources of light are the lantern held by a shepherd and an invisible source behind his back, used by Joseph to read a book (the Bible?). In the various states Rembrandt has gradually limited the light, reaching a point where only the family and the heads of the shepherds are still visible.

Rembrandt pictured a reading Joseph also in another etching (B 63). Rembrandt made two paintings with a shepherd holding a lamp in 1646 (Bredius 574, now in the Alte Pinakothek and Bredius 575, now in the British Museum. The latter is considered to be a satellite painting made in the workshop).
Münz thinks that Rembrandt has used many examples from other works of art, like a print by Annibale Carracci, a fresco by Raphael in the Loggia of the Vatican for the adoring shepherds and Rubens’ Adoration of the shepherds (now in the Louvre) for the group of animals in the foreground. Rembrandt probably knew the latter painting from an engraving. Schwarz does not support these views.

There is a copy in the same direction, signed J. Burnet (1849, two states, 148 x 197 mm).

The etching is considered as special by Coppier and Singer.

The New Hollstein lists eleven states of which the final three not by Rembrandt. Most other authors list eight states, Nowell-Usticke ten, from his 8^th state there are later impressions by Watelet, P.Basan, Basan, Jean, Bernard and Beaumont.
This etching is a good example of one that Rembrandt has obviously worked on very intensely, since there are approx. eight contemporary states. The states are sometimes difficult to identify. The early ones because of the darkness of the prints, the later ones because of the differences in inking.
There are slight differences between the descriptions by the various authors. An important dividing line is the addition of a plank partition behind the Virgin and the Child, in the 6^th state of NH and White-Boon, the 5^th state of Nowell-Usticke.
In the 1^st state (NH, WB, R155, NU) the pillow and the Child’s face are almost white.
In the 2^nd state (NH, WB, R156, NU) there is crosshatching on the pillow, the Virgin’s sleeve, the Child’s face and in the background. NH lists many other modifications.
In the 3^rd state (NH, WB, R157, NU) a narrow white band appears across the Virgin’s forehead. Many other small changes (NH).
In the 4^th state (NH, WB, R158) the outline of Joseph’s head is altered by burnishing. An ear-flap is added.
In the 5^th state (NH, WB, R159/4^th state NU) the outline of the Virgin’s sleeve is doubled and shading added to her nostril.
In the 6^th state (NH, WB/5^th state NU) the plank partition is added and the Virgin’s left eye is enlarged.
In the 7^th state (NH/6^th state NU) curved shading lines are added to the pillow just left of the Child’s head. The lines on the Virgin’s pillow closest to the Child does not (yet) cross the newly added lines.
In the 8^th state (NH only) the lower curved line on the pillow next to the child’s face is extended upwards, now crossing three of the new curved lines added in the 7^th state (difficult to see).
In the 9^th state (NH/7^th state WB, R160) the partition is more distinct, especially the nail heads. Not by Rembrandt.
In the 10^th state (NH/9^th state NU, Bernard) cross-hatching is added to the background, creating a clear portioning above the wooden plank. The blanket just above Mary’s head is darkened by vertical lines.
In the 11^th state (NH/10^th state NU, Beaumont) the plate is completely retouched. Most notable is a stripe of light between the man with the lamp and the one behind him. Usually very dark, with only the lamp white.
In the 8^th state (WB final, R161) the cap of St. Joseph is redrawn.
Hind mentioned an 8^th state which is probably a print (in the British Museum) retouched with ink.

Only two impressions of the 1st state are known, in the Rijksmuseum and in the British Museum (R155) and three of the 2nd state, in the Rijksmuseum, in the British Museum (R156) and in the Kupferstichkabinett in Berlin and again three of the 3rd state, in the Rijksmuseum, in the Bibliothèque Nationale and in the Kunsthalle in Bremen (on Japanese paper). There are also impressions on Japanese paper of the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th state and on Chinese paper of the 5th state.
Of the 5th state, the first ‘finished’ state at least 25 impressions are identified so far. Rembrandt used a variation of inking to leave plate tone, making each print almost unique.
The etching appears in the Recueil de Basan, impression fairly strong (NU).

In the 3^rd and 5^th state: Strasbourg lily ZZ.zz;
In the 5^th state: Double-headed eagle D.a (c. 1656-57);
In the 6^th state: Strasbourg lily B.zz;
In the 9^th state:. Strasbourg lily B.c and with GR A.a, Strasbourg bend J.a and various later ones.

H 255, BB 52-1, G 45, M 230, Mz 237, RA 155-161, Cl 50, W 51, Bl 19, Du 51, CD 217, S 13.
Münz, Die Kunst Rembrandts und Goethes Sehen, 1934; Rembrandts Passie 2006, p. 61-64; Hinterding 2008, p. 104ff; Late Rembrandt 2015, p. 178-179