Nativity
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Authors
Paolo Catalano da Cassano
Date
Type
Image
Language
Keyword
Nativity , Creche , Presepe
Alternative Title
Abstract
This nativity scene, consisting of the Virgin, Joseph, the Baby Jesus, and an ass and an ox, are all that remain of a sculptural group by Paolo Catalano da Cassano. The work is located in the Pinacoteca Provinciale Corrado Giaquinto. It is thought to have originally been located in the Chiesa San Pietro delle Fosse, which has since been destroyed. After an effort to restore the pieces in 2000-2001 proved unsuccessful at preventing the stone from disintegrating further, the choice was made to rehouse the work in a climate-controlled display. Evidence of polychromy, blue on the mantle and brown in the hair, still exists on the statue of the Virgin, which is the best preserved sculpture in the group. The badly damaged surface of the sculpture of Joseph indicates that it was stored outside for some time. At one point the sculptures were attributed to Stefano da Putignano. However, they lack the stylized surface graphics characteristic of Putignano's works. The sculptures' comparison to other works by Cassano, such as his Madonna and Child (1504) in the Chiesa di San Rocco in Acquaviva and Madonna and Child (1535) in the Cathedral of Altamura, reveals a similarity in form that confirms their attribution. Cassano's choice to create a nativity scene on a monumental scale certainly put his work in dialogue with those of Stefano da Putignano and others who produced similarly ambitious works in the region. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Description
Pinacoteca Provinciale, Bari; San Pietro delle Fosse, Bari
Citation
Gelao, C., Bari . Pinacoteca provinciale, & Bari. (1998). La Pinacoteca provinciale di Bari : Opere dall'XI al XVIII secolo (Musei ; 1. Roma: Àrgos), 30 - 31; Clara Gelao, and Christine Farese-Sperken. 2005. La Pinacoteca provinciale di Bari. (Roma: Istituto poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato): 41 -43.