The Adoration of the Shepherds

c. 1625/1675

after Annibale Fontana

Associated Names
Anonymous Artist

Sculptor

Annibale Fontana

Artist After, Milanese, 1540 - 1587

The sculpture is a relief depicting numerous human figures and angels. In the center, there are people in various poses, some standing and others kneeling. A pair of angels hover above the figures. The figures have intricate details, showcasing flowing garments and lifelike anatomy. The relief is made of terracotta, giving it a warm reddish-brown color. It is framed in an ornate rectangular frame with a repeated pattern of gold and black designs, featuring flower-like motifs. The textured surface and figures engage the viewer with their energy and detailed expressions.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    terracotta

  • Credit Line

    Samuel H. Kress Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 109 x 57 cm (42 15/16 x 22 7/16 in.)
    framed: 141.6 x 94.1 x 12.5 cm (55 3/4 x 37 1/16 x 4 15/16 in.)
    gross weight: 85.73 kg (189 lb.)

  • Accession Number

    1939.1.319

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Trivulzio Collection, Milan;[1] (Alessandro Contini Bonacossi, Florence); purchased August 1936 by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York;[2] gift 1939 to NGA.
[1] The invoice from Contini Bonacossi for the relief and a number of paintings indicates the relief was formerly in this collection; copy in NGA curatorial files.
[2] The invoice (see note 1) is dated 1 August 1936, and an annotation dated 12 August 1936 indicates the bill had been paid.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1941

  • Preliminary Catalogue of Paintings and Sculpture. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1941: 224, no. A-23, as by Annibale Fontana.

1942

  • Book of Illustrations. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1942: 253, repro. 228, as by Annibale Fontana.

1945

  • Paintings and Sculpture from the Kress Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1945 (reprinted 1947, 1949): 200, repro., as by Annibale Fontana.

1949

  • Seymour, Charles. Masterpieces of Sculpture from the National Gallery of Art. Washington and New York, 1949: 181, note 45, repro. 139-141, as by Annibale Fontana.

1959

  • Paintings and Sculpture from the Samuel H. Kress Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1959: 429, repro., as by Annibale Fontana.

1965

  • Summary Catalogue of European Paintings and Sculpture. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1965: 155, as by Annibale Fontana.

1968

  • National Gallery of Art. European Paintings and Sculpture, Illustrations. Washington, 1968: 138, repro., as by Annibale Fontana.

1976

  • Middeldorf, Ulrich. Sculptures from the Samuel H. Kress Collection: European Schools XIV-XIX Century. London, 1976: 74.

1994

  • Sculpture: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1994: 90, repro.

Wikidata ID

Q63809175

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