Adoration of the Shepherds (or Kings?)

The drawing was attributed to Battista dell'Angolo del Moro by Terence Mullaly in 1966 (note on mount), possibly based on a suggestion by Janos Scholz, the former owner of this sheet. Secure drawings by Battista del Moro are extremely rare and none is as freely conceived as the present sheet. The pink prepared paper is quite unusual, though Battista did work in a variety of techniques and styles and employed it for a study of the Institution of the Eucharist now in Stockholm.¹ The heavily layered wash is characteristic of the artist, see for instance the more finished Flagellation of Christ in the Louvre, which has been given to Battista since Vasari’s time.² As an engraver and etcher Battista was strongly influenced by Parmigianino. A horizontal print of the Adoration of the Shepherds by Battista’s son Marco del Moro (ca. 1537-after 1586) is unrelated in composition.

There are also close links to the draftsmanship of Cremonese artists such as Giulio Campi and Carlo Urbino, as well as to that of Claudio Ridolfi and on balance, it seems better to consider the artist to be of North Italian, possibly Cremonese or Veronese origin, rather than necessarily one of the del Moros.

Footnotes:

1. Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, inv. NMH 154/1863.
2. Louvre, Paris, inv. 5080.