Hortus Deliciarum, Die Engel verkünden den Hirten die Geburt Christi

A large, winged angel on the left gestures toward three shepherds who appear both surprised and attentive. On the right, a group of three more angels observes the scene, while several sheep and goats are depicted in the foreground. The composition is structured with Latin text at the top and stylized vegetation at the bottom, reflecting the high Romanesque style of the 12th century.

This work originates from the Hortus Deliciarum, an encyclopedic manuscript compiled by Abbess Herrad of Landsberg to synthesize biblical history with the liberal arts and natural philosophy. It serves as a significant example of 12th-century pedagogical tools meant to provide a totalizing view of divine and worldly knowledge within a monastic context.