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Plaque with the Adoration of the Shepherds
(Renaissance Europe )
Valerio Belli is the first great engraver of rock crystal and other semiprecious stones of the Renaissance. The subject of this plaque is Christian, indeed, the shape suggests a freestanding devotional work, but the firm, athletic, precisely modeled bodies reflect Belli's admiration of the aesthetics of classical, pagan antiquity.
The artist has signed his name in Latin on the Roman-style pedestal base of a broken column behind St. Joseph. With great virtuosity, Belli has defined the perspective of the simple roof with a vanishing point behind the column, creating a deep space behind the frieze-like arrangement of the figures.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 9/12/1963 | Treatment | cleaned |
Geographies
Italy, Rome
(Place of Origin)
Italy, Vicenza (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H with loop: 5 × W: 3 3/8 × D: 3/8 in. (12.7 × 8.5 × 1 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
41.85