Not currently on display at the V&A

The Nativity

Relief
last quarter 15th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Antonio Rossellino
Place of origin
Florence (made)

The figures on this panel and other features are adapted from those in two late works by Rossellino: The relief of the 'Adoration of the Shepards' in Sant' Anna dei Lombardi at Naples (c. 1475), and the tondo of the 'Nativity' in the Bargello. They are re-arranged in a style that is scarcely satisfactory. The relief is the work either of a minor member of the Rossellino workshop or a Florentine imitator of Rossellino working in the last quarter of the 15th century.


Object details

Categories
Christianity
Religion
Sculpture
Reliefs
Object type
Relief
TitleThe Nativity (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Marble carved in low relief
Marble
Carving
Low Relief
Brief description
Panel relief in marble, The Nativity, in the style of Antonio Rossellino, Italy, Florence, last quarter of 15th century
Physical description
To the left the Child lies in the manger; in the centre is the Virgin kneeling in adoration; to the right is the sleeping figure of St. Joseph turned to the right. Behind the figures is the stable with thatched roof sheltering the ox and ass. In a distant landscape visible above the stable roof is shown the Annunciation to the Shepherds.
Dimensions
  • Height: 29.5cm
  • Width: 20.3cm
Object history
Bought in Florence, 10l.
Historical context
The figures and other features are adapted from those in two late works by Rossellino: The relief of the 'Adoration of the Shepards' in Sant' Anna dei Lombardi at Naples (c. 1475), and the tondo of the 'Nativity' in the Bargello. They are re-arranged in a style that is scarcely satisfactory. The relief is the work either of a minor member of the Rossellino workshop or a Florentine imitator of Rossellino working in the last quarter of the 15th century.
Production
The relief is the work either of a minor member of the Rossellino workshop or a Florentine imitator of Rossellino.
Subjects depicted
St Joseph
Virgin
Christ Child
Summary
The figures on this panel and other features are adapted from those in two late works by Rossellino: The relief of the 'Adoration of the Shepards' in Sant' Anna dei Lombardi at Naples (c. 1475), and the tondo of the 'Nativity' in the Bargello. They are re-arranged in a style that is scarcely satisfactory. The relief is the work either of a minor member of the Rossellino workshop or a Florentine imitator of Rossellino working in the last quarter of the 15th century.
Bibliographic references
  • Inventory of Art Objects Acquired in the Year 1861 In: Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, Arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol I. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 27
  • Maclagan, Eric and Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture. Text. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1932, p. 40
  • Pope-Hennessy, John. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Volume I: Text. Eighth to Fifteenth Century. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1964, pp. 180, 181
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
7502-1861

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Record createdSeptember 10, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O166796/the-nativity-relief-antonio-rossellino/
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