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Source Description
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.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
37168
label
Plaque with the Adoration of the Shepherds
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
37168
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Plaque with the Adoration of the Shepherds
description
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
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
ca. 1530-1546 (Renaissance)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Stone
plaques
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
11.5
height
8
dimensionsRaw
4 1/2 x 3 1/8 in. (11.5 x 8 cm)
Source extras
med
rock crystal, gilded copper frame
creator_ids
2549
collection_ids
REN
exhibition_ids
none
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
6285f7a0f40726ac