The Angel and the Shepherds (L'ange et les bergers)

In Luke’s Gospel, the shepherds in the hills and valleys surrounding Bethlehem first learn of the miraculous event from an angel who announces the birth of the Savior. The accompanying angels joyously sing their praise of God and urge good will to men, a passage that gives its name to a well-known hymn, “Gloria in Excelsis Deo” (Glory to God in the Highest).

In the text he wrote to accompany this image, Tissot explains the local practices for pasturage in the Middle East, noting that small bands of shepherds gathered around campfires and alternated watches to care for their flocks. Attentive to this practical detail, Tissot casts the faces of his shepherds in the orange glow of their warming fire—a striking contrast to the verdant surroundings of sheltering trees and the dark night sky.

After waking their companions, the shepherds, accompanied by a few sheep, pay homage to the newborn child in the low-ceilinged grotto. While some shepherds register their wonder with their hands upraised, others proffer modest gifts of livestock and loaded baskets.