The Adoration of the Shepherds

c. 1530

Attributed to Valerio Belli

Associated Names
Valerio Belli

Artist, Italian, 1468 - 1546

The sculpture depicts a scene with a group of figures gathered around a central figure of a baby lying on a cloth or cradle. A kneeling woman is prominently positioned in the foreground, facing the child, while other figures surround them, some bearing gifts or offering gestures of reverence. The background features a series of columns and arches that provide an architectural framing for the scene. The sculpture is composed of bronze, giving it a brownish color with a metallic sheen. It is executed as a relief, with the figures slightly raised from a flat background, allowing the details of their features and garments to be perceived in a more intricate manner. The fine detailing and arranged composition offer a narrative moment frozen in time, evoking a sense of depth and structure within the constraints of the rectangular panel.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Andrew Brown

  • Dimensions

    overall: 6.8 × 5.2 cm (2 11/16 × 2 1/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2023.123.1


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Sale, Millon & Associés and Beaussant Lefèvre, Drouot-Richelieu, Paris, 9 October 1997, no. 396);[1] purchased by Alain Edrei [1931-2021], Paris; (his estate sale, Morton & Eden, London, 20 April 2023, no. 94; the Hon. Andrew Brown; gift 2023 to NGA.
[1] No. 396 from the sale included two other plaquettes.

Associated Names


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