Artwork
Roundel with Annunciation to the Shepherds
Roundel with Annunciation to the Shepherds is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1505 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This circular painting portrays the biblical Annunciation to the Shepherds, set under a night sky.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The roundel portrays the Annunciation to the Shepherds, the biblical moment when an angel announces Christ’s birth to humble herdsmen.
The roundel portrays the Annunciation to the Shepherds, the biblical moment when an angel announces Christ’s birth to humble herdsmen. The angel appears alongside shepherds, accompanied by pastoral details, a bagpiper with his bagpipe, sheep, a wolf, and a dog, elements that reinforce the rustic setting of the scene. As a religious painting dated to 1505, the work uses these figures to convey the Nativity narrative’s emphasis on divine revelation to the lowly, fitting its genre as a devotional image.
History & Provenance
The work known as Roundel with Annunciation to the Shepherds is recorded as an anonymous painting produced in 1505. It is classified as a religious painting and currently resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The piece entered the museum's holdings at an unspecified date, becoming part of its permanent displays.
No documentation regarding a specific commission or patronage is available in the sources consulted. The dating and provenance are derived from catalog records that list the inception year as 1505 and identify the Metropolitan Museum of Art as the present owner.
The roundel is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it is recorded under accession number 1975.1.111. It entered the Museum’s holdings in 1975 as a gift of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, aligning with the Foundation’s broader program of transferring Italian panel paintings to American public collections during the mid-twentieth century.
Overview
This circular painting portrays the biblical Annunciation to the Shepherds, set under a night sky. The composition features three figures and a sheep, dramatically lit by a celestial presence. An angel, radiating light, descends from above, holding a scroll, as two shepherds react with visible surprise to the divine message.
A faintly illuminated town on a distant hill completes the nocturnal landscape, situating the miraculous event within a tangible world.
Technique & Style
The artist utilizes strong contrasts of light and shadow, a technique known as chiaroscuro, to intensify the emotional depth of the nighttime scene. The angel's luminous form and golden wings powerfully stand out against the dark sky, immediately drawing the viewer's attention and evoking a sense of wonder. This focused illumination highlights the shepherds' startled expressions and the miraculous nature of their encounter, enhancing the painting's dramatic intensity.
Artist & collection
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