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Description: | Throughout his long career, the Neapolitan painter Francesco de Mura retained the influence of his master Francesco Solimena (1657-1747), who at the peak of his career, before the rise of Tiepolo, became one of the most influential painters in Europe. Solimena never left Naples but his reputation was able to secure commissions for his pupils abroad. De Mura produced some of his best work at Turin where he worked in the Palazzo Reale from 1741 to 1743 before returning to Naples where he was to continue Solimena's legacy after his death. The Adoration of the Shepherds in the Southampton collection is one of a series of seven preparatory studies (called bozzetti' or modelli') for Francesco de Mura's large altarpiece in the Neapolitan church of Santa Maria in Betleme, which he produced between September 1749 and August 1750. These modelli' would have been produced to show the patron the overall design of a commission and frequently they also showed changes made to the design at various stages before the execution of the final work. This modello' is apparently derived from an earlier modello' rather than representing a new phase of design. The relative freedom with which the paint has been applied, the strong use of chiaroscuro' shading and the bold use of colour, all point to this study being used to gauge the final painting's effect when located in position. The picture's composition is dominated by the figures of the Virgin and Child at the centre. At their feet are the shepherds paying homage, while Joseph (identified by the flowering staff he holds) is on the left. In the upper half of the painting are hosts of angels. Two carry incense burners recalling the gifts of the three wise men during the Nativity as well as the ritual of the liturgy. | Subjects: | religion (Adoration of the Shepherds) | Source: | Vads | Creator: | Artist: Mura, Francesco de (Italian painter, 1696-1782) Æ | Identifier: | http://www.vads.ac.uk/large.php?uid=8404... | Go to resource |
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